Lobster & Bacon Corn Fritters with Jalapeno-Honey Aioli

At your next outdoor shindig, serve up a crispy, savory, fluffy batch of deliciousness that’ll really get the party started! These outstanding Lobster & Bacon Corn Fritters with Jalapeno-Honey Aioli were tailor-made to go with a backyard barbecue or a summer pool party!

These delectable fritters are filled with chunks of crispy bacon with all its salty, porky goodness, meaty chunks of tender, succulent lobster, and sweet kernels of fresh-off-the-cob corn. Accompanied by a side of jalapeno-honey aioli sauce for dipping, the taste combination is far beyond tasty with a kick of creamy sweet heat. So get your fry baby sizzlin’ hot and ready to make something sensational.

Our amazing recipe for Lobster & Bacon Corn Fritters with Jalapeno-Honey Aioli comes to us courtesy of No Spoon Necessary.com

Lobster & Bacon Corn Fritters with Jalapeno-Honey Aioli Lobster & Bacon Corn Fritters with Jalapeno-Honey Aioli courtesy of NoSpoonNecessary.com

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: Approximately 16 fritters

Ingredients:

  • 2 lobster tails (about 1 pound total; meat should yield 1 ½ cups)
  • Melted butter*
  • Sea salt, to taste

Fritters:

  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon – cooked and crumbled* (should yield about ½ cup)
  • 2 large green onions - white & green parts, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
  • 2 ears corn – kernels cut off cob (about 1 ⅓ cup)
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornmeal
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg - separated
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted
  • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Peanut oil - for frying (can substitute vegetable oil)
  • Sea salt, for seasoning after frying

Aioli (yield - 3/4 cup):

  • ½ small jalapeno - seeded, ribbed and roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic - smashed and peeled
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • Lemon wedges (for serving)

Directions

  1. Cook Lobster - EITHER:
    1. Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Piggyback the lobster meat on top of the tail. Brush with melted butter and season with sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on size of tail, or until shell is bright red and lobster is cooked through (to 140-145 degrees F).
    2. Boil:  Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt. Add lobster tails to water and cook until shell is bright red and meat is cooked through (to 140-145 degrees F), about 6 minutes.
  2. Remove tails to a clean work surface and allow to cool. Use kitchen shears to cut down the back of the shell, remove lobster meat and roughly chop. Transfer to a bowl or container, cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
  3. Make the Aioli: Add jalapeno, scallions and garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until ingredients and process until smooth. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Transfer to a small container, cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
  4. For the Corn Fritters: In a large bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, chili powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg yolk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk texture to well. Stir together gently. Fold in the lobster, corn, bacon, green onions and melted butter.
  5. In a small add the egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar. Whisk until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into the fritter batter.
  6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
  7. Add enough oil to a large saucepan to come 1 ½” to 2” up the sides. Heat oil to 325 degrees F over medium to medium-high heat. Carefully drop 4-5 heaping tablespoon-size blobs of batter into the oil. Fry, turning once, until batter is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove fritters and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season immediately with salt. Once drained, transfer fritters to sheet pan and place in oven to keep warm. Continue frying, draining and transferring fritters to oven until all batter is used. 
  8. Serve fritters immediately with aioli and lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes: *To Cook Bacon: Place a wire rack insert into a large rimmed sheet pan. Lay slices of bacon on wire rack, being sure to not overlap them. Transfer bacon to the oven and turn oven to 400 degrees F. Bake bacon until crispy, brown, and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

The taste of the fritters with the jalapeno aioli dipping sauce is a rich, burst of fantastic flavor, but you might want to dab just a little bit of the sauce on one, so you aren’t overpowered by the heat of the jalapeno. Just be sure to make a couple of batches so there’ll be plenty for everyone...they’ll disappear in no time!