Corn on the cob rates as one of life’s perfect creations. Golden and beautiful, it’s a model of nature’s symmetry.
Corn fanatic and cookbook author Betty Fussell calls it downright sexy.
“I think it’s all these contrasts–the kernels and the milk hidden under the husk,” says Fussell, author of “Story of Corn” and “Crazy for Corn.” “It’s concealed, like a present, like a secret.”
Her favorite way to eat corn these days: grilled and sprinkled with lime juice.
Corn on the cob is a must for back-yard barbecues, but there are definitely more elegant ways to eat corn.
Fresh kernels scraped from the cob are not only easier on the teeth, they add delectable dimension when used as an ingredient–in salad or soup, pasta or grain, bread or casserole or even dessert. They add color, like little drops of sunshine, and texture–a sassy little bite.
Though less fresh, corn already husked is convenient. Still, if you’re going to buy packaged corn, look for kernels that are “filled out,” not wilted, says Dallas produce buyer Craig Self.
Yellow corn is the most popular sweet corn. Many stores also sell white and bicolor–a mixture of white and yellow. The corn’s just as sweet, it just looks prettier.
“Bicolor was something new maybe four to five years ago, and it’s beginning to sell,” he says. “It’s more expensive because it’s a little harder to raise. It’s a good sweet corn. So are the white and yellow–all of it is good, it’s just different seeds.”
One variety available at selected markets is baby corn, whose kernels are so small they’re not worth removing. That’s OK, the cob is tender and edible. They can be cooked like regular corn or pickled and added to salads and stir-fries.
When it comes to eating corn, the old rule was, the sooner you eat it, the better, to catch the corn before its sugar turns to starch. New supersweet varieties stay sweet longer, for up to two weeks. When you get your corn home, leave it in the husk, refrigerated and wrapped loosely in plastic, until you’re ready to cook.
The best way to get the corn off the cob is the old-fashioned way, with a sharp knife.
Cut the corn close to the cob. Make a cut, and turn the cob one quarter, then cut again, four times total. You get really close to the cob four times and you end up with a square cob. Then you slice off what’s left on the corners.”
Many recipes also suggest running the back of the knife down the cob to extract more juice.
Use a sharp knife and cut as close to the cob as possible.
Getting corn off the cob can be a bit easier if you blanch the corn first. The kernels retain more moisture.
The fresher the corn, the less time it takes to cook.
Fussell barely cooks her corn. She heats a large pot of water to boil, drops in the ears four to six at a time, then removes them after 30 seconds. “The problem with sweet corn is overcooking it,” she says. “You have to be careful not to lose that crispness.”
SOME KERNELS OF CORNY INFORMATION
– A bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds and contains approximately 72,800 kernels.
– The United States is the largest producer of corn with 41 percent of the corn grown in the world.
– Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota account for more than half of the corn grown in the United States. Other major growing states are Indiana, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio and Kentucky.
This area is known as the “corn belt.”
– Livestock, poultry and dairy producers use more than 80 percent of the nation’s corn.
– The 1996 corn harvest was more than 9.2 billion bushels, the third largest ever in this country.
– About 8 percent of a box of corn flakes is actually corn.
ANGEL HAIR WITH AVOCADO CORN CREAM
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3-4 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
4 tomatillos
2 to 3 cups chicken broth, boiling
2 ears of corn, kernels removed (to make 1 cup kernels)
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 jalapeno, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Place tomatillos in small saucepan of boiling water. Boil 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Put all ingredients except pasta and cheese, in blender, beginning with 2 cups of the stock, adding more as needed; puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
2. Pour sauce into medium saucepan and heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring frequently, until heated through. Pour over cooked pasta, toss and serve with Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 627 Fat ………… 17 g Cholesterol .. 10 mg
Sodium ….. 830 mg Carbohydrates .. 96 g
FRESH CORN KERNEL AND CORNMEAL BREAD
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Yield: 20 servings
1 cup each: fine-grind white or yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground, all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup each: milk, whipping cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups (4 ears) corn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, pepper flakes and salt in large bowl.
2. Whisk together egg yolks, milk, cream, butter and corn kernels in a small bowl. Add egg yolk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon just until all ingredients are moistened yet thoroughly blended, taking care not to overmix. Batter will be lumpy.
3. Beat egg whites in bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold whites into batter with spatula, just until no streaks are visible.
4. Scrape batter into greased 8-inch heavy-gauge aluminum tube or Bundt pan. Bake until golden around edges and wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 157 Fat …………. 9 g Cholesterol .. 50 mg
Sodium …… 95 mg Carbohydrates .. 16 g
SWEET CORN FLAPJACKS
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen cakes
Betty Fussell says this basic batter “can turn sweet or savory by adding a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup or a few blueberries, or by adding ground pecans or bacon bits or curried minced onions or chopped chicken livers or any chili mixture.”
1/2 cup freshly ground cornmeal, medium grind
1 to 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 ears fresh sweet corn (to make 2 cups kernels)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
1. Heat a griddle or heavy cast-iron skillet and grease it lightly just before you are ready to fry the cakes.
2. Mix the cornmeal with 1 cup of the buttermilk and set aside.
3. Puree the corn kernels in a food processor, add the eggs and butter and then the cornmeal mixture.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom.
5. Combine the dry ingredients with the corn puree and adjust thinness or thickness of the batter by adding more buttermilk as wanted. Ladle out a large spoonful of batter onto the skillet, to make 2- to 3-inch rounds. When browned on one side (2 to 3 minutes), flip the cake over to brown the other side.
Nutrition information per cake:
Calories ……. 50 Fat ………. 1.5 g Cholesterol .. 20 mg
Sodium ….. 105 mg Carbohydrates .. 8 g Protein …….. 2 g
ROASTED GAZPACHO
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
2 large cloves garlic, skin on
4 large ripe tomatoes
2 sweet red onions
1 sweet red pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ears fresh sweet corn (to make 2 cups kernels)
1 seedless cucumber, diced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves or fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 black Mediterranean-cured olives, pitted, diced
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put garlic, tomatoes, onions and red pepper in a roasting pan, drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over them, and roast them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the garlic after 10 minutes (so it won’t scorch) and when it is cool enough to handle, squeeze the pulp from the skins. Remove any tough skin from onions and remove stem and core from red pepper. Put garlic, tomatoes, onions and red pepper in a blender or food processor.
2. Turn the oven setting to broil. Remove husks from the corn, put the ears in the roasting pan, and brush them with the remaining oil. Broil corn, turning ears once, until lightly browned, about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove, and when the ears are cool enough to handle, cut off the kernels.
3. Add 1 cup of the kernels to the blender, reserving the rest for garnish. Add half of the cucumber and reserve the rest.
4. Add the vinegar, basil, salt and pepper and puree the mixture until it is well mixed but still chunky. (If the mixture is too thick, dilute with a little tomato juice.)
5. Chill thoroughly. If you’re in a hurry, you can put the mixture in the freezer for half an hour. When ready to serve, garnish the top of each bowl with corn kernels, cucumber and black olives.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……. 240 Fat ………… 12 g Cholesterol .. 0 mg
Sodium …… 365 mg Carbohydrates .. 34 g Protein ……. 5 g
