CRISPY CORN CROQUETTES

whilst on my epic shopping trip this weekend just gone (epic in the sense that it was epically far away and epically difficult at one point to find anything i was looking for!) i picked up a bag of maiz (maize flour) as i have become so intrigued by latin american and mexican cooking.

when i got home from work today i started straight off googling some fab maize flour recipes - but was only given the options of tortillas or corn chips... and without an oven or a griddle this left me a bit stuck. so when i thought about the ingredient itself - it texture, cooking potential etc i thought of corn jacks (those crispy, hugely unhealthy, deep-fried 'battons' that tast so good!) 

inspired by the idea of the corn jack i hit the kitchen and whipped up a polenta-like batter which i seasoned with some spicy chilli powder, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar. the result...

an absolute success!

how? 

1 1/2 cups of maize flour

1/2 cup of plain flour

1 litre of water

salt and pepper to season

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 teaspoons of chilli powder or spicy paprika (or to suit the desired level of heat)

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

vegetable oil for frying

bring the water to the boil in a saucepan. slowly add the plain flour and half of the corn flour, whisking constantly to form a thick porridge-like consistency. once all the flour has incorporated add the salt, pepper, chilli powder, sugar and baking powder and mix to combine. cook for 5 minutes. remove from the heat and add the remaining maize flour to form a thick 'dough'. set aside to cool slightly. 

heat enough oil in a small saucepan or saute to create a depth of 2-3cm. quenelle the mixture between two spoons and gently place in the hot oil (adjusting the temperature of the stove if the croquettes are cooking too quickly). be careful not to overload the pan (adding only 4-5 croquettes at a time). remove croquettes from the oil when golden brown, placing them on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil. sprinkle over some sea salt flakes (if onhand, alternatively just use table salt) and a little chilli powder, and whilst they are still hot and crispy!