Shrimp and corn fritters are like a delicious hush puppy stuffed with shrimp and corn. They’re a great snack and a perfect dinner!
I love a hush puppy. Don’t you love a good hush puppy? A major comfort food meal for me is fried fish, fries, and hush puppies. When I was in college, my roommate and I would take a study break to go to Captain D’s during exam week so we could gorge ourselves on fried food (we called it “having food with our fat”) doused with malt vinegar. We even got an extra order of crispies (there was some special name for them that I can’t remember now). I haven’t eaten at Captain D’s in years, but I still remember those trips fondly.
The appeal of a hush puppy is not just in its deep-fried crispiness but also in all the flavors…the cornmeal, the onion, and sometimes a little bit of jalapeño. Everything works together so nicely in one little browned, crispy package and, well, if you aren’t eating your hush puppies I’ll gladly eat them for you. I married a man who doesn’t care for hush puppies, so that works out well for me in restaurants.
The problem is that when there are approximately two foods (hush puppies and peas on their own) that your husband just really doesn’t like it’s kind of difficult to justify making those things at home. He’s so not fussy that I would feel bad making something that I know he doesn’t want to eat. So….I have to get creative. Like, you know, putting peas in a soup or fried rice. Or making something that’s super-close to being a hush puppy without actually being a hush puppy.
Enter shrimp and corn fritters. Since I’ve become a fanatical follower of Smitten Kitchen, I have turned lots of things into fritters. I have not regretted any of it. Bonus is that I love food that can be dipped into condiments (ranch dressing and honey mustard are my old standbys, but I these days I love a great remoulade or tartar sauce or comeback sauce just as much). And you can totally dip a fritter. So to make these shrimp and corn fritters, I put the fish (well, shrimp) into the hush puppies, dialed back the cornmeal, added some plant life, and skipped the deep frying for a simple shallow fry. They’re perfect with a simple remoulade and some baked fries.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a fried fish and hush puppy dinner that was more comforting than these shrimp and corn fritters!
Shared on Meal Plan Monday on Southern Bite!
Yield: 16 fritters
30 minPrep Time:
25 minCook Time:
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Ingredients
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon capers, drained and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, finely minced
- 2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped into small pieces
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Stir together the remoulade ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Combine all of the fritter ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place a baking sheet lined with paper towels in the oven. Pour enough oil into a 10-inch skillet to cover the bottom. Preheat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Measure 1/4 cup portions of the fritter mixture and flatten into a disc with your hands. Carefully place into the hot oil. Cook for 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Drain on the paper towel lined baking sheet in the oven and repeat in batches of 4 or 5 fritters until all bater has been used. Serve while hot.
Notes
The prep time includes inactive prep time to refrigerate the batter.
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