Gluten Free Corn Nuggets

Corn..... but in a nugget.

These used to be my choice of snack in my uni days. Bought from a shop right over the road from the campus. Never thought to recreate them until I went gluten free - and it turns out that its not too hard.

Corn Croquettes are the fancy term for these. They are Mexican Street food and usually contain grated cotija cheese. For this recipe I've used cheddar, purely because I could not find cotija anywhere in London (If you know a spot, let me know!).

These are great as a snack, an entree, a side dish, in tacos, by themselves, for breakfast - I'm not here to tell you how to live your life. I've also included an easy dipping sauce recipe which I think works well with the nuggets, a cheeky chipotle mayo that brings a bit of spice to the dish.

Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

An important component to this roast is gluten free breadcrumbs. Unfortunately, these can be a little difficult to get hold of in supermarkets. Fortunately, they are extremely easy and far cheaper to make at home. For these corn nuggets I used 3 large slices of bread. All you need to do is toast them, (or grill in the oven if you don't have a special gluten free toaster) and then blend them until crumbed. You don't need to worry about the crunchiness, or size of the breadcrumbs for this recipe as it all gets mixed in anyway.

I've also created a "how-to" video for those visual learners out there, like me. Please check out the video below (and please subscribe for more recipes).

I N G R E D I E N T S

Corn Croquettes

• 300 grams of canned corn

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp gluten free flour

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 egg. (lightly beaten)

• 1/2 cheese of your choice

• 1 1/2 cups of gluten free bread crumbs (see above for instructions)

• 2 cups of vegetable oil

Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup of mayo

• Juice of half a lime

• 1 tsp of chipotle paste

• Salt

• Pepper

• Chopped coriander (to garnish)

M E T H O D

1. Drain and rince canned corn.

2. Over a high heat, cook the corn in a skillet until it starts to char.

3. Turn heat down to low, put corn in a bowl and set aside.

4. In the same pan, melt the 1 tbsp of butter.

5. Once butter has melted, add 1 tbsp of gluten free flour and stir until combined.

6. Slowly add in the milk, stirring the whole time, until its a smooth but sticky sauce.

7. Add back in the corn and stir again, then remove from heat.

8. Add in the lightly beaten egg and cheese and mix until all combined.

9. Pour the corn mixture into a bowl and place into the fridge for 30 minutes, or until it's chilled.

10. Once chilled, take the corn out of the fridge, and line a chopping board with baking paper.

11. Take spoonfuls of the corn mixture and roughly shape into circle/cylinder lumps. Don't worry too much about what they look like- they will be easier to shape once frozen. Place them into the freezer for an hour.

12. Before you take them out of the freezer, prepare your oil by heating it to a medium high heat in a saucepan, making sure there is enough oil to cover the whole nugget. Tip: use a smaller saucepan so you don't have to use too much oil.

13. Once frozen, you will be able to mould them slightly into a cylinder shape, then cover in bread crumbs and place into the oil.

14. Deep fry until they turn a dark golden, and gently fish them out onto a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

15. While frying the corn nuggets, make the dipping sauce by mixing the mayo, lime, chipotle paste, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

16. Serve the corn nuggets with the dipping sauce, and garnish with chopped coriander. Enjoy!