Corn Cakes with Lemon Chive Crème Fraiche
Makes 12 cakes, 6 servings

You can make the cakes the night before and bake them off at 350 degrees before serving, until each cake is browned and heated through.

Ingredients
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
2 shallots, minced
4oz crème fraiche
3 tbsp chopped chives (plus more for garnish)
½ lemon, juiced (about 1 tbsp)
¼ tsp salt

1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fold in the corn and shallots.

2. Coat a large skillet with oil and set it over high heat. When the oil is sizzling (you can flick some water into the pan to test this), add a tablespoonful of batter to the pan and press flat with the bottom of the spoon to form a flat, round cake. Work in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan, and cook each cake for about a minute per side, until brown and crispy. Remove to a paper towel to drain, and repeat with the additional batter.

3. In the meantime, combine the crème fraiche, chives, lemon, and salt in a small bowl.

4. To serve, top each cake with a dollop of sauce and sprinkle with chives.