Recipe Background
Deep South Fritters highlight rich Southern flavors with easy, neighborly appeal.
The day I decided to pack up my life and move to New Orleans, there was a certain air of excitement mixed with a sprinkle of uncertainty. That's when I first encountered the charm of Southern cooking. I vividly remember sitting on my cluttered floor, surrounded by boxes and a sense of endless possibility, and thinking about the kind of celebratory dish that would capture this moment. The kitchen in my new apartment was small but had a history I could feel in the wooden countertops and creaky floors. I had a canister of cornmeal mix and some ripe, juicy tomatoes from the local market. That’s when the idea of Deep South Fritters danced into my mind, inspired by the vibrant flavors of the city around me.
Cooking these fritters became a bit of an art form as I tweaked each ingredient for the perfect balance. I discovered that using a sweet onion added just the right touch of mildness, while a dollop of creamy pimiento cheese introduced a tangy richness that’s hard to resist. One spatula flip became two as I learned firsthand that flipping them crisply ensures a golden finish. My tip? Always have extra buttermilk on hand to adjust the batter’s thickness, and let the cooked fritters rest briefly on paper towels to keep them delightfully crisp. Sharing these with neighbors quickly made my new place feel like home.
With each fritter that sizzled in hot oil in my dear old skillet, a new friendship was forged, a laugh was shared, and a sense of belonging was solidified. The pepper jelly added just the right hint of sweetness, sort of like discovering a little bit of magic in everyday life. New Orleans and I had found our rhythm, all thanks to this savory, tomato-speckled treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ripe tomato seeded and diced
- 1/2 sweet onion diced
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk plus more, to taste
- 1/2 cup pimiento cheese plus more, to taste, for serving
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil plus more, to taste
- 1/2 cup jarred pepper jelly optional, warm, for serving
Directions
- In a large bowl, add the flour, the cornmeal, the salt, the pepper, and the garlic powder, and whisk to combine.
- Add the tomatoes and the onions to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, add the egg and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk and lightly beat to combine.
- Add 1/2 cup of the pimiento cheese to the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients mixture to the dry ingredients mixture and stir until just combined. If the batter feels too thick, add the extra buttermilk, a little at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1/3 cup of the oil.
- Spoon the batter by the heaping tablespoonful into the hot oil and cook, while flipping them once, until crispy and golden-brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. You may need to cook in batches, adding the extra oil to the skillet between batches.
- Transfer the cooked fritters to paper towels to drain.
- Serve hot with the extra pimiento cheese and the warm pepper jelly.
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