Dinner: Jalapeño Popper Fritters with Tomato Salsa

Recipe by Andrew Friedman Spice up winter nights with this variation on a popular bar snack. In our version, the cream cheese is frozen and grated and the jalapeños are diced and folded into the batter to create a chunky, spicy fritter.

Ingredients

1/4 pound medium green jalapeño chiles (about 4)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus about 1/2 teaspoon for sprinkling on cooked fritters
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 ounces cream cheese, frozen and grated (about 1/4 cup)
6 to 8 cups vegetable oil
Tomato Salsa
Sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 °F.
Transfer jalapeños to large baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until softened and blistered, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes. Wearing gloves, peel and seed jalapeños, then cut into large dice.
In large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In medium bowl whisk together buttermilk and egg. Whisk in dry ingredients, then fold in diced jalapeños and cream cheese.
In heavy, 4-quart pot over moderate heat, heat 3 inches of oil until thermometer registers 350 °F. Working in batches of 6 and returning oil to 350 °F between batches, drop batter by tablespoons into hot oil and fry fritters, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and immediately sprinkle with salt.
Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

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