Tuatua fritters
Tuatua fritters are golden, crispy seafood fritters made with New Zealand clams, smoky bacon, sweet canned corn and fresh coriander. The Thermomix TM7 chops the onion, bacon and coriander uniformly and whisks the egg and milk batter into a lump-free mixture, ensuring every fritter fries up crisp outside and tender inside.
About this recipe
Tuatua fritters Thermomix TM7 bring a taste of New Zealand's coastline straight to your kitchen. These golden fritters pair sweet tuatua clam meat with smoky bacon, juicy canned corn kernels and fragrant fresh coriander, bound in a light egg, milk and plain flour batter lifted with baking powder. Searching for an easy seafood recipe for your all-in-one kitchen machine? This one delivers: the TM7 chops the onion and bacon to a uniform fineness in seconds, blends the batter until completely smooth and even weighs the flour and milk straight into the mixing bowl, so there is less washing up and no guesswork. Fried in vegetable oil until crisp and amber, the fritters work beautifully as a starter with lemon aioli, as a quick weeknight dinner with a green salad, or as finger food at a drinks party. The natural sweetness of the corn balances the briny clams, while coriander adds a fresh, citrusy finish that lifts the whole plate.
Preparation tips
- Drain the tuatua meat well and pat it dry before folding it into the batter, as excess liquid makes the fritters soggy rather than crisp. Roughly chop the clams so every fritter contains a good piece without large rubbery bites.
- Fry the fritters in batches in hot vegetable oil and keep them warm on a wire rack in a low oven rather than on kitchen paper, which traps steam and softens the base. Serve with lemon wedges and a coriander yoghurt dip.
- For a milder family version, replace the bacon with ham and let children shape smaller, coin-sized fritters. Chopping the coriander stems as well as the leaves adds extra flavour without extra heat or cost.
Recipe variations
- Gluten-free variation: swap the plain flour for a gluten-free self-raising blend and check that the baking powder is gluten-free too. The corn and tuatua still give the fritters a lovely sweet structure, and they fry up just as golden and crisp.
- Festive summer variation: fold in a finely chopped red chilli and serve the fritters as canapés with a lime and coriander crema. Miniature versions on cocktail sticks make an ideal beach-party or Christmas barbecue bite in the Southern Hemisphere summer.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Weighing precision - The Thermomix built-in scale weighs the plain flour and milk directly in the bowl for a consistent batter. [Built-in scale]. [Precision Control]
- Fine chopping - The TM7 chops the onion, bacon and coriander uniformly in seconds without wet hands or tears. [Time savings]. [Time Savings]
- Silky batter - The Thermomix blends eggs, milk and flour into a completely lump-free mixture for even frying. [Multi-functionality]. [Multi-Function]
- Hands-free mixing - The TM7 stirs the batter automatically while you drain the canned corn and tuatua meat. [Hands-free]. [Hands-Free]
- Whipping control - The Thermomix whisks air into the egg mixture so the baking powder gives light, puffed fritters. [Precise control]. [Precision Control]
Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- rindless bacon rashers
- red onion
- fresh coriander
- milk
- eggs
- plain flour
- baking powder
- tuatua
- canned corn kernels