Fried Corn Cakes

The corn fries to a crunchy shell, with a soft interior.

1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbls honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (e.g. corn, beans, minced peppers)

Canola oil for frying

Stir together the corn meal, flour, sugar if using, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in the water and honey if using. It should be a thick, but smooth, batter. Stir in the chives and vegetables.

Heat like 1/2” of oil in a skillet over high heat, then turn the heat to medium when it gets hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the oil and press them down into patties. Cook on each side until golden brown. Place them on a cooking rack on top of a baking sheet to drain oil before serving. Eat plain as a snack, or add toppings like basically what you would put on a taco.