Corn Jalapeño Fritters, the Crunchy Summer

Fresh corn, a sweet chili that packs just the right punch, a handful of green onions: here are some vegan fritters that capture the essence of summer. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, ready in less than thirty minutes. Perfect for serving at an apéro with your feet in the grass.

Why these fritters

Fresh corn, when it's in season - that is, from July to September for us - is one of the great gifts of summer. Its sweetness has nothing to do with canned corn: the kernels burst under the teeth, leaving a light juice, almost milky. These fritters make it the main ingredient, with just enough mild chili (fresh jalapeño, or a bull's horn pepper if you can't find any) to balance the sweetness.

No deep frying here: just a thick-bottomed pan, a little olive oil, and there you go.

The ingredients (for 4 people, ~12 fritters)

• 3 fresh corn cobs (about 400 g of kernels) - failing that, thawed frozen corn kernels.
• 1 fresh jalapeño, deseeded and finely chopped (or ½ sweet green pepper if you don't like spiciness).
• 2 green onions (the white and the green), finely sliced.
• 100 g of flour (T65 wheat or half wheat / half chickpea flour for more hold).
• 2 tbsp cornstarch.
• 120 ml of unsweetened plant milk (soy, oat, almond).
• 1 tsp baking powder.
• 1 tsp salt, freshly ground pepper, 1 pinch of ground cumin (optional, very good).
• Olive oil for cooking.

The gesture

1. Detach the corn kernels using a knife, by sliding the blade along the cob held vertically in a large bowl (this avoids repainting the kitchen).
2. Mix in a bowl: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, cumin.
3. Add the plant milk gradually while whisking, until you obtain a thick and smooth batter (like a very thick pancake batter).
4. Incorporate the corn, jalapeño and green onions. The batter should coat the kernels without drowning them.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Place heaped tablespoons of batter, flatten slightly, cook for 3 minutes on each side until a beautiful golden color.
6. Drain on absorbent paper before serving.

How to serve them

Hot, with a lemony plant yogurt sauce (soy yogurt + lemon zest + a little crushed garlic + chopped coriander), or with a simple avocado cream crushed with a fork with a drizzle of lime.

A green salad on the side, a few crunchy radishes, and it's the summer dinner that needs nothing else.

Tips & variations

• Gluten-free: replace the flour with rice flour + a little chickpea flour (half and half).
• More rustic version: add to the batter 50 g of crumbled vegetable feta or a little crumbled firm tofu.
• Spicy version: keep the seeds of the jalapeño, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Leftovers: the fritters reheat perfectly in a dry pan the next day (better than in the microwave).

No dogma, no lesson: just good seasonal products that meet.