Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Previously, we made shrimp fritters, using a pure-flour batter. This time, using scallops and rendered bacon pieces, we will make a cornbread-inspired fritter, a bit like a wide, crispy hushpuppy. You could really put whatever fillings you like into the batter, up to about 2 cups of chopped bits of quick-cooking (or par-cooked) fillings.
The key to crispy fritters lies in using cold, preferably sparkling water. Having it be cold is probably more important than it being sparkly, but every little bit helps. Drop quarter-cup-fulls (2 oz; I use a ladle) into hot oil. It is okay to deep fry them (into weird shapes), but shallow frying produces nice, pancake-like and very crispy fritters. Please note that to get the crispiest fritters it is necessary to drain the fritters on a rack, not just on a pad of paper towel.
Once these come out of the oil, immediately add whatever seasoning you might want to dust them with, so that the oil will cause it to stick. We found that with the salt in the recipe and the salt in the bacon, there was no need to apply additional salt to the fritters. But for presentation, you might enjoy adding paprika or using a blend of ground chilis to make the fritters spicy, even.
Makes about 8 fritters. Few people can eat more than three at one time.
Equipment:
• large mixing bowl
• cast-iron skillet with about a half inch of oil in it, for frying the fritters
• non-stick skillet for rendering bacon
• strainer/sieve for rendered bacon
• tray with a rack over it, for resting the fritters
• spatula and off-hand tool (even a chopstick will do) for turning the fritters
Ingredients:
12 oz scallops bay, or small, scallops; or chopped
4 oz bacon lardons, rendered about 4 strips, crosscut, lightly sauteed
1/2 cup AP flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup corn meal coarse
1/2 tsp mustard seed ground
1/4 tsp salt
1 ea egg
1 cup sparkling water cold
1 Tbsp parsley chopped; or chives
Procedure:
1. Cut and render the lardons. Allow them to become just slightly brown before placing in a strainer and allowing to cool and drain.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flours, corn meal, mustard powder, salt
3. Add the egg to the dry ingredients and break up the yolk, scrambling the egg in place.
4. Add half the sparkling water, and blend the batter together, incorporating egg and flour as efficiently as possible to preserve the water’s effervescence.
5. Fold through the last of the sparkling water.
6. Add the scallops, bacon, and parsley, folding through carefully.
7. Portion by quarter-cups into the hot oil, usually about three to a pan. Using scant scoops may yield nine fritters, which would be three pans-ful.
8. Allow each fritter to fry on its first side about like a pancake, for 2 or so minutes, until bubbles popping on the surface of the fritter do not close.
9. Flip the fritters once, and allow them to cook another minute or two on their second side, then move them to the rack to cool and drain.
10.Season fritters immediately after racking them, if they are to be seasoned.
11.Allow fritters to cool 3 – 5 minutes before attempting to eat them.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Previously, we made shrimp fritters, using a pure-flour batter. This time, using scallops and rendered bacon pieces, we will make a cornbread-inspired fritter, a bit like a wide, crispy hushpuppy. You could really put whatever fillings you like into the batter, up to about 2 cups of chopped bits of quick-cooking (or par-cooked) fillings.
The key to crispy fritters lies in using cold, preferably sparkling water. Having it be cold is probably more important than it being sparkly, but every little bit helps. Drop quarter-cup-fulls (2 oz; I use a ladle) into hot oil. It is okay to deep fry them (into weird shapes), but shallow frying produces nice, pancake-like and very crispy fritters. Please note that to get the crispiest fritters it is necessary to drain the fritters on a rack, not just on a pad of paper towel.
Once these come out of the oil, immediately add whatever seasoning you might want to dust them with, so that the oil will cause it to stick. We found that with the salt in the recipe and the salt in the bacon, there was no need to apply additional salt to the fritters. But for presentation, you might enjoy adding paprika or using a blend of ground chilis to make the fritters spicy, even.
Makes about 8 fritters. Few people can eat more than three at one time.
Equipment:
• large mixing bowl
• cast-iron skillet with about a half inch of oil in it, for frying the fritters
• non-stick skillet for rendering bacon
• strainer/sieve for rendered bacon
• tray with a rack over it, for resting the fritters
• spatula and off-hand tool (even a chopstick will do) for turning the fritters
Ingredients:
12 oz scallops bay, or small, scallops; or chopped
4 oz bacon lardons, rendered about 4 strips, crosscut, lightly sauteed
1/2 cup AP flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup corn meal coarse
1/2 tsp mustard seed ground
1/4 tsp salt
1 ea egg
1 cup sparkling water cold
1 Tbsp parsley chopped; or chives
Procedure:
1. Cut and render the lardons. Allow them to become just slightly brown before placing in a strainer and allowing to cool and drain.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flours, corn meal, mustard powder, salt
3. Add the egg to the dry ingredients and break up the yolk, scrambling the egg in place.
4. Add half the sparkling water, and blend the batter together, incorporating egg and flour as efficiently as possible to preserve the water’s effervescence.
5. Fold through the last of the sparkling water.
6. Add the scallops, bacon, and parsley, folding through carefully.
7. Portion by quarter-cups into the hot oil, usually about three to a pan. Using scant scoops may yield nine fritters, which would be three pans-ful.
8. Allow each fritter to fry on its first side about like a pancake, for 2 or so minutes, until bubbles popping on the surface of the fritter do not close.
9. Flip the fritters once, and allow them to cook another minute or two on their second side, then move them to the rack to cool and drain.
10.Season fritters immediately after racking them, if they are to be seasoned.
11.Allow fritters to cool 3 – 5 minutes before attempting to eat them.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
