Jamón And Manchego Cheese Fritters Recipe

Prepare dry ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, fine cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar until evenly combined.

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate bowl whisk the egg lightly, then add the whole milk, cold sparkling water (or club soda), and extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk until blended.

Combine to make batter

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined — batter should be thick but slightly loose (like a thick pancake batter). Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine.

Prepare jamón and Manchego

Finely dice the jamón serrano or prosciutto into small bite-sized pieces (about 1/8"–1/4"). Grate the Manchego on the medium holes of a box grater. Chop the parsley and slice the chives thinly.

Fold in the diced jamón, grated Manchego, chopped parsley, chives, and freshly ground black pepper into the batter. Stir just until evenly distributed. If batter feels very thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons milk or water to loosen slightly; it should be spoonable.

Heat oil

Pour neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep skillet to reach about 1" depth. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle briskly and brown in about 45–60 seconds.

Fry fritters

Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon batter per fritter) drop rounded spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown on the underside, about 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side 1.5–2 minutes more until evenly golden and crisp. Maintain oil temperature around 325–350°F (160–175°C); adjust heat as needed.

Drain and season

Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked fritters to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or to paper towels to drain. While still warm, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and gently squeeze a little lemon over some fritters, if desired.

If using the garlic aioli: stir smoked paprika into the aioli until incorporated. Transfer to a small bowl for serving alongside the fritters.

Serve the fritters hot, arranged on a platter with lemon wedges and the optional smoky aioli. They are best eaten fresh and crisp. Leftovers can be reheated in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 6–8 minutes to crisp up.