Corn off the Cob (Berkshire Eagle Column)
When I was a kid, my grandmother had this gadget with a row of “teeth” that she would scrape along an ear of corn to open up all the kernels. She would say that she and my grandfather needed this because their teeth could no longer handle the skin of the kernels, but this way they could still enjoy corn on the cob. In this recipe from last week’s Berkshire Eagle column, I devised a different way to minimize this problem, cooking corn cut from the cob as if it were risotto. You could certainly use chicken stock, but I simmered a stock from corn kernels, to create a vegetarian dish. You could also make it vegan by using olive oil rather than butter, and omitting the Parmesan or subbing nutritional yeast.
“CORN-OTTO”
by Elizabeth Baer
As we were driving back from western Michigan earlier this month (whence the inspiration for the cherry pie I wrote about two weeks ago), we knew we would want to stop for dinner. Although we left Michigan early, and the driving time is 10½ hours going through Canada, you never know about the wait times at border crossings, and during “road construction season” the trip takes closer to 12 hours. We certainly did not want to start cooking upon arrival back in the Berkshires.
We decided to stop at one of our favorite restaurants in the Capital Region, Chez Mike in East Greenbush. Once, many years ago, I found this gem when we needed to find somewhere for dinner between Albany and home, and we have been frequent patrons ever since. The setting is unexpected, in the Hannaford shopping plaza between a dentist and a paint store, and the food is always phenomenal. Some menu favorites endure, like the brick-roasted chicken or the pan-seared calves’ liver, and some change with the seasons, such as the corn-cheddar risotto I opted for that night which included smoked chicken, ham, sautéed kale, and truffle honey. So good! It is a wonderful place and definitely worth the quick drive over there.
In any event, as delicious as my entrée was, it got me thinking about cooking corn in the style of risotto. I’ve read about people doing that with pasta, and considering that some people have difficulty eating corn right from the cob for any number of reasons, I figured this might be a worthwhile endeavor. And indeed it was!
Not only was it wonderful with the fresh corn in season, but I am also sure it will be great with the corn I freeze, both kernels and cobs, so that in the middle of the winter, while the snow is coming down, I can make this recipe and think about warm summer sun.
CORN, RISOTTO STYLE
Serves 2-4
INGREDIENTS:
4 ears fresh corn
3 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped shallot
¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Several grinds fresh pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
Cut the kernels off the cobs. If you don’t have one of the gadgets created for this, place a small bowl upside down into a larger bowl, then stand each ear of corn on end and cut down on all sides carefully. This way the kernels fall neatly into the larger bowl. You should have about 4 cups of kernels.
Place the denuded cobs into a saucepan with 3 cups of water. You can break the cobs into smaller pieces if necessary. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the cobs and keep the corn broth warm on a burner behind where you will cook the corn kernels. You can also do this step ahead of time and reheat the corn broth before proceeding with the recipe.
Melt the butter in a small pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté until the shallot is beginning to brown. Add the corn kernels and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and stir until the butter coats the corn.
Add the wine and allow to cook down until barely any remains. Add enough hot corn broth to just barely cover the corn. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10-15 minutes until almost all the liquid in the pot is gone. Add one more splash of corn broth to deglaze any browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. (You may not need to use all of the corn broth.) Add the Parmesan and stir until melted into the corn. Serve immediately.