Recipe: Creole corn fritters from the bro-team behind Leslieville Pumps

PREP TIME: 25 minutes REFRIGERATION TIME: 30 minutes COOK TIME: 12 minutes Makes 4 dozen fritters

CREOLE SAUCE

1 tbsp roasted garlic (see tip) ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice 1 cup parsley leaves, chopped ¼ cup green onions, chopped 1 tbsp Keen’s hot mustard 1 egg ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1 dash Tabasco sauce

FRITTERS

2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp granulated sugar ¾ tsp baking soda 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 ¾ cups 2% milk 2 cups whole canned corn, drained

1. To prepare sauce, place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. While processor is running, slowly add oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover dipping sauce and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

2. Meanwhile, place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk to evenly mix. Beat egg in a separate bowl and whisk in milk, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir to mix, then fold in corn until evenly distributed.

3. Partially fill a deep-fryer or large, deep pot with oil and heat to 365°F. Using a small ice cream scoop or two large spoons, form batter into 1 ½-inch fritters. Carefully lower into oil. (You will need to cook in batches.) Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove to paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter. Test fritters by inserting a toothpick into the centre; it should come out clean. Serve with dollops of creole sauce.

TIP To roast garlic, cut just enough off the top of a head of garlic to expose cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap with foil and place in the centre of a 400°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes until very tender.

JUDSON FLOM AND GREG FLOM LESLIEVILLE PUMPS Growing up, brothers Judson and Greg Flom ate two things for breakfast every Sunday morning: corn fritters and doughnuts, both freshly fried and smothered in honey or maple syrup. They now sell the fritters, made with fresh corn kernels (we recommend canned in the winter), at their east-end barbecue shack. Instead of syrup, they serve the fluffy bites with an herbaceous creole sauce that’s blended with handfuls of fresh parsley and green onions. They’re an excellent start to a Southern-themed dinner or backyard barbecue.

Recipes developed by Victoria Walsh. Recipe photography by Ryan Szulc. Illustrations by Aleksandar Janicijevic. Interviews by Meaghan Binstock, Chantal Braganza, Matthew Hague, Peter Saltsman, Courtney Shea and Caroline Youdan.