Buffalo Corn Fritters with Chive Dip

As football season comes around I start thinking about finger food.  Everyone on FN (Food Network.com for y’all who are new here) is rallying up their best game day snacks – and most are thinking about budgets.  I love to cook and share the food with friends and family, big game day is a perfect stage for this flare for food of mine.

Keeping budget in mind, not that I have a finite number in my head, or that there’s one agreed upon, it’s still in the forefront when dreaming up interesting nosh for Hubby and gang.

While eating lunch, which included a side of corn kernels to attempt to boost my veggie intake at work, I threw some hot sauce and butter over the sweet little nubs of corn.  Sprinkle with salt and you have yourself one cool combination of spicy, sweet and salty!  What if this was fried up in some Johnny cake batter?  I was enthralled with the idea.  This would be a simple twist on corn cakes that would taste like Buffalo wings, without the chicken to weigh down the imaginary budget.

Adapted from Paula Deen‘s Corn Fritters

Yield: 24 fritters

• 1 1/4 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can corn, drained  1 cup frozen corn, warmed through*
• hot sauce*
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Heat oil to 325ºF.

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal mix, flour, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs. Add milk mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring well. Stir in butter and corn.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven, or use a deep-fryer. Drop by tablespoons into hot oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Chive Dip

The small patch of chives growing in the front garden were put to work for a fresh dip.

• bunch of fresh chives, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roasted in the skin
• 1 cup sour cream
• pinch of salt

Roast the garlic cloves in the oven ahead of time.  I like to throw them in with whatever is cooking the night before since the oven is already on anyhow.  Peel the skins off or squish the pulp out of the paper casing.  Mash the garlic with a little salt then add the chives and sour cream.  Mix well and add more salt if needed.