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Why this one earns its spot
There is a moment on every trip where the esky stops being organised and you start cooking with what is left in it: half a zucchini, a cob of corn, a few eggs. That is the moment these fritters were built for.
Twenty minutes on a two-burner stove, one bowl, one pan. They come out with crisp edges and a soft, custardy middle, and they taste like the version you would pay good money for at a beachside cafe — which is the whole point of cooking properly at camp.
They are also the best use of late spring produce I know, when zucchini is cheap and corn is sweet. No fire required, which matters once total fire bans start rolling through.
What you need
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 medium zucchini (about 400 g), coarsely grated
- 1 cob of corn, kernels cut off (about 150 g, or frozen corn, thawed)
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 3/4 cup (110 g) plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (50 g) grated tasty cheese
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil, for the pan
- To serve: 2 avocados, 1 lime, chilli flakes, a handful of rocket, sour cream if you have it
Gear
- Two-burner camp gas stove (a single burner works, you will just cook in more batches)
- 24–26 cm non-stick frying pan
- Mixing bowl and a box grater
- A clean tea towel or muslin square — this is the important one
- Egg flip, and a small bowl for the avocado
How to make it
- Grate the zucchini onto a clean tea towel. Gather the corners and squeeze hard over the sink until barely a drop comes out — you should wring out three to four tablespoons of water. Skip this and the batter turns to porridge.
- Tip the dry zucchini into the bowl with the corn, spring onion, flour, baking powder, cheese, salt and pepper. Toss with a fork until the flour coats everything.
- Add the beaten eggs and stir until just combined. You want a thick, scoopable batter that holds its shape on a spoon — if it is sloppy, add another tablespoon of flour.
- Set the stove to medium and heat one tablespoon of oil until it shimmers. Drop in a teaspoon of batter as a test: it should sizzle immediately, not sit there quietly.
- Spoon two tablespoons of batter per fritter into the pan and flatten each one slightly with the back of the spoon. Cook four at a time — crowd the pan and they steam instead of crisping.
- Cook 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and set in the middle. Resist flipping early; they release cleanly once they are ready.
- Drain on paper towel and keep warm. Add the second tablespoon of oil and cook the rest.
- Smash the avocados in a bowl with the juice of half the lime, salt and pepper. Leave it chunky — it should not be a puree.
- Serve two or three fritters per person, avocado piled on top, chilli flakes, rocket and the remaining lime wedges on the side.
Camp tips
- Do the wet work at home. Grate and squeeze the zucchini before you leave, then pack it dry in a container. Saves the tea towel, the mess and ten minutes of your morning.
- Swap freely. Frozen peas instead of corn, crumbled feta instead of cheddar (use a little more, it is saltier), or a finely chopped red chilli through the batter if the camp likes heat.
- Windy morning? A two-burner with a decent windshield beats a fire that will not stay lit, and it does not throw sparks into dry grass.
- Cold leftovers are good. Wrap any extra fritters in foil and they will hold until lunch — better than a servo sandwich.
- Batter thickens overnight. If you keep it in the Engel for the next morning, loosen it with a splash of water before cooking.
The bit that matters
None of this needs a camp oven or a fire pit — just a burner, a pan, and a fridge that is actually cold. If your 12V setup is doing the heavy lifting for mornings like this, our 12V accessories range covers the sockets, chargers and cables that keep the fridge and the coffee going. Get the stove lit before the sun clears the trees and the day starts better than it has any right to.
