Corn Nuggets

One of our favorite things about a get-together, apart from the great company, is sampling all the great dishes everyone brings to the party! Now, we love a good casserole – anything creamy and cheesy always has our name on it – but, finger food is really the way to go when there’s a crowd of people looking to mingle about and catch up with one another. Which is why we’re always trying out new recipes and seeing what needs tweaking in order to get it just right…which is exactly what happened with these Texas corn nuggets!
We love all manner of yummy fried foods, but these corn nuggets were new for us. They’ve got whole corn kernels and creamed corn, frozen into balls, then dipped in a tasty, seasoned batter and fried to perfection. These nuggets are so good – you could even add in some cheese if you had some on hand – and we’ve gotten rave reviews from everyone who have tried them. If croquettes are your thing, you’ll definitely love these guys, so grab some corn and get frying!

INGREDIENTS

1 (11 oz.) can whole corn kernel, rinsed and drained
2 (11 oz.) cans creamed corn
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
Vegetable oil, as needed

Direction

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together corn kernels and creamed corn. Season with salt and pepper, then drop spoonfuls of mixture onto lined baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in freezer to chill until set.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal and flour, then whisk in onion and garlic powders. Season generously with salt and pepper, then mix in egg and milk, stirring until batter comes together and is smooth.
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. (Oil is hot enough when water sprinkled in it sizzles.)
Remove corn mixture from freezer, then dip each frozen corn ball in batter.
Carefully lower into hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and season lightly with salt. Enjoy!