SPAM FRITTERS - 1971

I know . . . I can see you wrinkling your noses, and I can't say that I blame you, but hear me out. Loathe it or love it, Spam has been around for a very long time. During my husband's WW2 and Post War childhood, it was often on the menu in the family home, along with tinned corned beef, and it has long been a staple of school dinners. It's a cheap alternative when it comes to meat, and in lean times has been a real mainstay for a great many families.

1 340g tin of Spam (12 ounces) For the batter: 125g (1 cup) plain flour pinch of salt 4 fluid ounces of milk, milk&waterm, water, or beer (1/2 cup) cooking oil for either shallow frying or deep frying

To serve: mashed potatoes mushy peas, or regular peas

Sift the flour into a bowl. Whisk in the salt and liquid. You will want to have a thick batter in order to coat the spam properly.

Carefully remove the Spam from the tin in one piece. (I take a sharp knife and carefully slide it into the tin between the meat and the tin all around and then holding the tin upside down, gently shake and the meat slides out.) Cut the Spam into 8 slices.

Heat 2 to 3 TBS of oil in a frying pan, or heat a depth of oil in a deep fryer to 170*C/350*F, or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 1 minute.

Coat the Spam slices with the batter and then carefully drop them into the hot oil. If shallow frying, allow two to three minutes per side. If deep frying, allow a total cooking time of three to four minutes, turning the fritters over as needed. Drain well on paper towels.

Serve hot with buttery mashed potatoes and peas. Source: The English Kitchen Photo: Go Cook Yourself

#1971 #adamcloete #retro #spam #fritters