Whether you stack them high, pack them in a lunch box or top them with eggs and bacon for brunch, the classic corn fritter is a Kiwi kitchen staple. For Wellington woman Sue Bennetts, they bring back memories of a childhood in Wellington, spent with her beloved grandmother.
Bennetts is one of five Kiwis getting the chance to share recipes from their family kitchens, thanks to Anchor's Feeling of Home competition, which saw entrants share the recipes and dishes that most connect them to a sense of home.
Mike Boness, Fonterra Brands' Marketing Director, says all the entries proved the kitchen is "the heart of the home for so many Kiwis".
"Home is more than a physical place, it’s a feeling, and it connects us to what is most important," he said.
Anchor has played a role in so many of those memories - the iconic Kiwi brand has sat on kitchen benches and dining tables since 1886.
"That’s 135 years of family moments, celebrations and memories for New Zealanders, old or new," says Boness.
In her entry for Anchor's Feeling of Home, Sue Bennetts wrote that as a child she spent hours in the kitchen and garden with her Grandma Ali, in the Wellington suburb of Kelburn.
"Alison (Ali) was born in 1898," Bennett told Newshub. "We spent many weekends together over a number of years. When I was about 10 years old, I spent nearly a month with her while my parents were travelling."
Bennetts says she and Ali would spend the time together in the garden and cooking in the kitchen.
"Ali adored gardening and would always wear a mask which always sent me into a fit of giggles! She grew vegetables on her roof garden on top of the garage and we would look after them together."
The pair would make corn fritters togethers for lunch, and Bennetts revealed that at one point, she managed to eat 15 in one sitting.
"During my extended stay we had a routine going. She would bring me a cup of tea - in a teapot, of course - in a bone-china cup, then we would have a plate of porridge with Anchor Thickened Cream and brown sugar," Bennetts reflects.
"Lunch was always a hot meal… usually corn fritters. I would always help with the cooking. Initially they didn’t have a fridge so food was kept in a safe so there wasn’t ever any waste.
"We had to eat everything on our plate."
Years later when she was working in Wellington's CBD, Bennett would jump in the cable car and visit her grandmother, and they'd eat fritters "and sit and chat for a while".
"I still make corn fritters today, mostly I cook them as part of breakfast/brunch and use them instead of a hash brown," said Bennett.
"They always bring back many special memories as a child."
Corn fritters recipe (Serves four)
Ingredients
1/2 cup Anchor Blue Milk
2 eggs
2 cups fresh corn kernels (can use frozen)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
50g Anchor Butter to cook
Garnish options: Anchor Sour Cream or Anchor Natural Yoghurt
Method
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and Anchor Blue Milk. Add corn and mix.
Sift in flour, baking powder and black pepper and mix into a smooth batter.
Add Anchor Butter to a non-stick frypan and heat until hot. Depending on the size of your pan you may only want to add half of the butter.
Spoon the mixture into the pan (about two to three tablespoons at a time).
Once the bubbles form on the top of the fritter, flip and cook the other side for another two minutes or until cooked.
Keep warm in the oven while the rest of the batch cooks.
Serve with Anchor Sour Cream or Anchor Protein+ Natural Yoghurt. Garnish with more parsley or fresh chilli.
This article was created for Anchor.
