Carolina Gold Rice Fritters with Dates and Curried Honey

Carolina Gold Rice Fritters:
1 1/2 cups cooked Carolina gold rice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 egg yolks
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon chopped sage
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste

Curried Honey:
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed pink peppercorns
Zest of 1/2 an orange
Small pinch coarse sea salt

Breading:
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
1 /2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup fine bread crumbs

Canola oil for frying

To make the fritters, mix together the rice, flour, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, dates, shallots, sage, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

While the rice mixture chills, make the curried honey: combine the honey, rice vinegar, red curry paste, pink peppercorns, and orange zest in a small sauce pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes, until thickened, like a loose jam. Season with salt. Let the honey cool while you complete the rice fritters.

Using your hands, take 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture and form into a ball. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the mixture. Place the balls on a cookie sheet or large plate. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Prepare for dredging: season the flour with salt and pepper; spread out the mixture on a large plate. In a small bowl, mix together the milk and egg. Season the bread crumbs with salt and pepper; spread out the mixture on a large plate. Remove the rice balls from the freezer. Coat each ball in the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg wash. Coat in the seasoned bread crumbs.

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 350ºF. Working in batches, carefully fry the fritters until deep golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel–lined plate. Serve immediately with curried honey on the side for dipping.