Regional American cuisine at its best: Southwest Corn Fritters

When it comes to regional American cuisine, it's pretty hard to choose a favorite. If we had to rattle off a few contenders, though, the Low Country and its amazing shrimp and grits would definitely be in there. And don't even get us started about Louisiana and their unforgettable Creole and Cajun creations. What would casual dining be without the Buffalo wing? Or the Philly cheese steak? We could go on and on...

But there is something truly special about southwest cuisine. We especially love how you can take a few key ingredients and give almost any dish a southwest kick.

There may be no dish more "American" than the corn fritter, which goes back all the way to the earliest inhabitants of our land. So this seemed the perfect candidate for introducing a little regional flair...

You will need:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 spring onions, sliced into rings 
  • 1 tbsp jalapeños
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup yellow corn
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • oil

Here's how:

  1. Mix flour, baking powder, eggs and milk into a batter.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients through to lime juice. 
  3. Heat a generous portion of oil in a frying pan and then add 2 tbsp of batter to the hot oil. Fry on each side until golden brown.

If you want to give your fritters even more of a kick, feel free to add some red chilis or other southwest spices. And if you are up for even more dish-bending action, how about using these fritters as the base for a southwest breakfast? Add some salsa or pico de gallo, hickory smoked bacon, a poached egg and hollandaise. They say America is the great "melting pot," so no combination of food cultures is forbidden. Go for it!

Comments

Also hefty