Corn Cakes with Lemon Chive Crème Fraiche

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.

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.

(Note: 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.)

In the meantime, combine the crème fraiche, chives, lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

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