Why it works: Corn and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,165 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Corn Fritters
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the corn
Boil the corn until tender, then scrape the kernels off the cob while warm.
Refrigerate the corn until morning.
Make the batter
In a bowl, combine the corn, eggs, cream or milk, flour, and salt.
Fry
Heat oil in a pan over medium‑high heat.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Alternatively, cook them on a griddle like pancakes.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Corn + flourtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,165 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Cream + flourtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
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Egg + creamtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Corn + creamtop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Egg and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Corn
- Provides the main bulk and sweet flavour of the fritters.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set when cooked, giving the fritters structure.
- Cream or milk
- Adds moisture and softness to the batter.
- All-purpose flour
- Thickens the batter so it holds its shape in the pan.
The step that matters
Drop spoonfuls into hot oil. The oil must be hot enough so the batter sets and browns quickly on the outside. If the oil is cool, the fritters absorb grease and turn heavy and soggy before they cook through.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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