Corn Tips & Recipe

I wanted to record some of the things which I have learned about summertime sweet corn. Foremost, corn is best fresh and you must be earnest in your quest for freshness. Barring a garden, you should look for corn that is snuggly husked, are bright green and are slightly moist inside. Avoid loose yellowing husks that indicate age. The stem should also be fresh and moist. Look for fully developed corn meaning kernels that cover the top of the ear, are plump, close together and glistening. Once picked the ripening process stops. Husked corn will stay fresh in the refrigerator for several days. Sweet corn is harvested in all 50 states with Florida leading the production. Other states with significant production include California, New York and Georgia. Notably absent here are the great corn producing states of the mid west - Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana. Corn production in these states goes primarily for corn feed, ethanol production and corn syrup production.

Here are a couple of recipes that might be interesting:

RISOTTO WITH CANDIED CORN

1 1/2 cups fresh, raw corn kernels, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/4 cups white wine, divided
8 cups chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup thinly shaved Parmesan cheese
Basil sprigs for garnish (optional)

1) Make a corn puree. Add a 1/2 cup of the corn kernels to a food processor and pulse until smooth.

2) Also, make candied corn by melting 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan. Do this over a fairly high heat and when the butter sizzles, stir in the sugar and allow to brown lightly. Add 1/2 cup corn kernels and toss continuously until caramelized. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

3) Now heat the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Pour in the rice and stir to coat. Careful, don't brown the rice! Reduce heat to medium and pour in 1 cup wine and 1 cup broth. Continue simmering risotto and adding broth. Do this about a cup at a time, for a total of 5 cups. Be sure to stir constantly and allow each addition to become absorbed before adding the next. Continue to stir until the rice is just tender and creamy but still al dente, about 20 minutes. Set risotto aside.

4)Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over high heat. when butter sizzles, toss in remaining 1/2 cup corn kernels. Add cooked rice. Deglaze the pan with the remaining 1/4 cup wine. Cook wine until slightly reduced before adding the remaining 3 cups chicken broth. Fold in the corn puree, mascarpone and pecorino Romano. Stir, allowing most of the liquid to be absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with the candied corn kernels, Parmesan shavings and basil. Serve hot.


Next, I'm going to give a recipe for a summer corn and pancetta soup.

1 quart heavy cream (this can be omitted)
6 ears corn, uncooked
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound pancetta, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes or crushed canned tomatoes
2 quarts corn stock or chicken stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 bunch fresh basil
Salt and ground pepper to taste

1) In a saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the cream by half, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove from heat and set aside.

2) Using a box grater, scrape corn kernels from the cobs until most of the pulp is removed. Reserve the cobs.

3) To make the stock, fill a large pot with 2 quarts water and the cobs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook about 30 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, to a soup pot add oil and melt butter over high heat. When butter sizzles, add the pancetta to render the fat; stir frequently and don't overcrisp. Stir in the onion and sweat until translucent. Add garlic and saute briefly before adding corn. Stir for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the corn stock and cream. Simmer and season with Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Add basil and steep for 5 minutes. Remove basil with a slotted spoon. Ladle soup into soup bowls and serve hot. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Personally, I don't really like the idea of leaving the rendered fat in the soup. If that's the only way to get a flavorable soup then maybe this soup is just not worth it.