Corn Fritters with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

My Venture into Fritters and Dipping Sauce
Sorry for my short absence blog buddies! I've been very busy as of late and I've not had as much time as normal to work on my blog. I've even had to resort to (gasp!) frozen pizza for dinner a couple of times during the last few weeks. The SHAME!!!

When I was growing up, my mother would fix corn fritters from time to time. Corn fritter recipes, like barbecue recipes, are a regional thing in the U.S. In parts of the U.S., corn fritters are fried and topped with syrup. Very tasty. Some recipes have cornmeal in them and remind me somewhat of hushpuppies. Very tasty. However, this recipe is nothing like either of those. My corn fritters are, regrettably, deep fried. I know, I know!!! It's fairly easy to get a really crisp exterior when deep frying batter-coated fish, chicken, steak, etc. because the interior is not all batter. However, when you deep fry a doughnut, Indian taco, corn fritters, etc, it's really hard to get the same kind of crispy exterior.

My mom's corn fritters were really good but I wanted a crispier exterior. That's a tall challenge! More liquid in the batter would make it crispier (strangely enough) but too much allows excess oil to absorb too easily into the fritter. Milk, a common liquid in corn fritters, tastes great but softens breads/doughs. After lots of trial and error, I got a combination of ingredients that fairly work well. This type of corn fritter will never be as crispy as eating an onion ring but these fritters have an acceptable level of crispiness on the outside without sacrificing the texture and flavor of the inside. It's all about balance.

I've never been a big Honey-Mustard fan. It's OK but I can live without it. Someone recommended that I try a Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce on Recipezaar and, I have to admit, IT WAS GOOD!!!! It's acidic and not too sweet, which makes it perfect to eat with fried foods – like corn fritters. I made some of the dipping sauce for another dish and had some dipping sauce leftover in my fridge. When I was experimenting with the fritter batter, on a lark, I decided to dip some in the Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce. I was transformed by the interesting combination of flavors. Sweetness. Tartness. Mild spiciness. It was heaven. I only wish I came up with the recipe for the dipping sauce!

Even if you don't do the corn fritters, you HAVE to try the Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce. It's to DIE for! Enjoy – and happy dipping!

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Corn Fritters with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
(Printable Version)

For the Fritter Batter:
1 1/4 c plus 1 TBSP flour
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c cold club soda or seltzer water
1-11oz can whole kernel niblet corn (drained) OR 15 1/4 oz can of whole corn (drained) OR 1 1/2 c corn
Oil for frying

For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
Recipe is from Lorraine of Recipezaar

1/2 c mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
1/4 c yellow mustard
1/4 c honey
1 TBSP rice wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Whisk the honey mustard ingredients together, cover, and chill for 2 hours before serving. This is more like a sauce than a dip so it is fairly thin – which I think works great for the corn fritters.

Heat a pot of oil (about 3" deep) to 350F. Be sure not to fill the pot more than halfway up with oil to allow room for the oil to expand when frying.

While the oil is heating, whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Just before the oil reaches 350F, add the beaten egg and club soda to the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the drained corn and use a spoon to fold it in.

Add about one tablespoon of the batter to the hot oil. I use a small cookie scoop to make it easier. Don't add more than a tablespoon of the fritter batter (or add too many fritters to the oil) or they will not crisp up well. You may be tempted to immediately turn the fritters. Resist that urge. After about a minute, some of the interior batter will start to ooze out – releasing some of that interior moisture that keeps the fritter from getting crispy. The fritter should, when it's ready, flip over by itself. If you flip the fritters over prematurely, the outside will set too fast and the molten center will not ooze out – making a softer exterior.

Transfer the fritters to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle them with a little salt. Serve them piping hot with the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce while you slave away and fry more of the fritters using some of the remaining batter.