We’re All Ears A Bushel Of New Cookbooks Place Corn In Culinary Spotlight
We’re going to try to get through this story without making the usual warmed-over puns. It ought to be a can of corn.
Aw, shucks.
Now that we’ve got that out of our system, are you all ears?
Okay, we’ll stop. Promise.
Maybe the reason corny jokes are so much a part of our vernacular is that the almighty kernel has been around for so very long. Corn has been cultivated for something like 7,000 years. Native Americans built their diet around the grain they called maize.
Despite its rich history, however, corn has never been particularly glamorous. Until now, that is.
Suddenly, corn is enjoying its moment in the spotlight.
Just this summer, there are at least three new cookbooks dedicated to corn, two of them stuffed with gorgeous photos that show the grain off to its best advantage in everything from soup to ice cream. (Yes, corn ice cream.)
If that’s not proof enough of corn’s rising stock, consider cornmeal mush. It’s been dressed up and taken out to dinner in some of the trendiest restaurants, where it’s called polenta. Lately, pre-cooked tubes of polenta (some studded with sun-dried tomatoes or wild mushrooms) have appeared on supermarket shelves, making the souped-up cornmeal attractive as a quick fix.
“Corn has been rediscovered by a new generation of chefs,” said author Betty Fussell, who penned “Crazy for Corn” (HarperPerennial, $16). “When you repackage hominy as posole, suddenly it sounds more glamorous and people are willing to pay good money to eat it in fancy restaurants.”
Fussell, a self-confessed corn nut whose previous book is called “The Story of Corn,” summed up its appeal in a telephone interview from her home in New York City.
“In terms of taste, corn is absolutely unique because it’s a grain, but it’s also a fruit and a vegetable,” she said. “You can eat it fresh and raw, which makes it odd because you certainly wouldn’t do that with wheat. And its high degree of sugar means you can use it in every part of the meal, from appetizers to sweets.”
For most Americans, the ultimate corn dish is kernels gnawed right off the cob - a real summertime ritual.
But the sweet corn we take for granted in this country is virtually unknown throughout the rest of the world. There are five major types of corn - flint, field, dent, pop and sweet - and hundreds of hybrids in each category.
The most common hard corns, field and dent, are processed by being milled into flour or meal. They can also be soaked in alkali and the tough skin removed; what remains is known as hominy. In turn, hominy can be ground into a meal used to make grits, though that Southern speciality has yet to achieve gourmet status.
Fussell credits the emerging Tex-Mex and Southwest-inspired New-Mex cuisine for corn’s higher profile.
“Suddenly it was recognized that Mexican is a cuisine worth taking a serious look at and, of course, corn is at the center of that cuisine,” she said.
Some of the more exotic, south-of-the-border-style dishes in Fussell’s cookbook include quesadillas with wild mushrooms, black tamales (which derive their color from a rich mole sauce and from raisins and prunes in the filling), green posole stew and a simple, yet satisfying, tortilla-cheese casserole.
But by no means are the dishes in “Crazy for Corn” restricted to Mexican cooking. There are also Peruvian corn tamales, Brazilian couscous (which uses cornmeal instead of the traditional semolina), West African shrimp curry studded with kernels of corn, the classic Italian polenta and even blue corn pappadums, a Western adaptation of a staple snack from East India.
And that doesn’t touch on the huge variety of breads that can be concocted from cornmeal and corn flour.
Not all cornmeal is created equal, Fussell said. The best flavor comes from freshly ground meal, which is produced at small mills around the country (she lists some suppliers in her book).
Fussell suggests storing quality cornmeal in the refrigerator. “Good cornmeal will have oil in it, so you have to treat it well,” she said.
Still, making hush puppies or fritters or Johnnycakes requires an effort that few fast-trackers are willing to make.
Fortunately, there’s always time for corn on the cob.
Fussell’s preferred method of cooking corn on the cob requires very little time or effort. She peels off all but the inner husk and drops the cobs in a kettle of boiling water for 30 seconds, just long enough to warm them up so the butter won’t congeal. (Fussell actually enjoys eating them raw.)
She suggests serving corn on the cob as a separate course, presenting it on a huge platter with husks pulled back but still attached. Then, pass the melted butter or flavored olive oil.
“Sometime around the turn of the century, we got very genteel about eating corn on the cob with our fingers, so corn holders were invented,” Fussell said. “Fortunately, we’ve gotten past that.”
Of course, the level of enjoyment around the dinner table all depends on the quality of the corn.
Fussell offered these tips for corn consumers:
In season, always purchase corn from a farmer you trust, if possible. Much of the corn available in supermarkets is a mass-produced hybrid designed to slow the conversion of sugar to starch - a process that begins after the cob is plucked off the stalk. That makes for a less-creamy corn with a longer shelf life.
Look for bright green, tightly packed husks as an indication of an ear’s freshness. There’s no need to peel the husk back to inspect the cob; that speeds the deterioration of the corn.
“It really pains me to see people stand there and peel back the stalk, then throw it back on the pile if it’s not perfect,” Fussell said.
Corn should also have a pungent, fresh aroma. Just nuzzle up to an ear and breathe deeply.
The following recipes demonstrate corn’s a-maize-ing versatility.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to slave over a hot stove stirring for an hour to achieve a successful polenta. Using a double boiler makes the preparation easy on the arm.
Polenta with Portobello Mushrooms
From “Crazy for Corn” (HarperPerennial)
For the polenta:
1 cup freshly ground yellow cornmeal, medium grind
4 cups boiling water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the topping:
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds portobellos (and/or other wild mushrooms)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Put the cornmeal in the top of a double boiler, pour in the boiling water, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add the salt.
Fit the top into the bottom of the boiler, filled with an inch or two of boiling water, put a lid on the top and steam the polenta for 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally. When the mush is thick, stir in the butter and cheese.
In a heavy skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over high heat, add the mushrooms (whole caps or thickly sliced), and saute quickly for 5-8 minutes. Lower the heat, add the seasonings and herbs, and mix well. Cook until the mushrooms are just tender (5 to 7 minutes).
Pour the polenta over a large serving platter and cover it with the mushrooms.
Yield: 4 servings.
This pasta dish is quick and easy and combines some of the best tastes of summer.
Angel-Hair with Avocado Corn Cream
From “Crazy for Corn” (HarperPerennial)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, boiling
2 ears fresh sweet corn (to make 1 cup kernels)
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons chopped garlic chives (or regular chives)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 tomatillos, parboiled (see note)
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound angel-hair pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Put all the ingredients except the pasta and cheese in a blender, beginning with 2 cups of chicken stock and adding more stock as needed. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Pour the sauce into a pan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta, toss and serve with a bowl of the Parmesan cheese passed separately.
Yield: 4 servings.
Note: Tomatillos, green Mexican tomatoes, are available fresh and canned in some supermarkets. They are used in this sauce for tartness; if you can’t find them, use a little more lemon juice or add some lime juice.
This Southern staple usually accompanies fried catfish, but try serving the savory nuggets with salsa.
Hushpuppies
From “Corn: A Country Garden Cookbook” (Collins Publishers)
1/2 cup fine yellow or white cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Large pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, salt, cayenne and baking powder. Make a well in this mixture, then add the green onion, milk and egg. Gradually incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry, using a wooden spoon. Beat well with the wooden spoon for two minutes longer.
Pour the oil into a large, deep-sided skillet to a depth of approximately 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Carefully spoon the batter, one tablespoon at a time, into the hot oil until the skillet is full, but not crowded.
Cook approximately one minute per side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
The golden kernels make a dramatic impression in this unusual dessert.
Corn Ice Cream
From “James McNair’s Corn Cookbook” (Chronicle Books)
4 medium-sized ears fresh corn
3 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1-1/2 cups milk
Peel from 2 lemons, removed in long strips
1/2 vanilla bean, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 egg yolks
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
Cut the corn kernels from the cobs; there should be about 2 cups.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn and 1/4 cup of the cream and cook until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Reserve.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1-1/2 cups of the cream, the milk, lemon peel, vanilla bean (if using), and salt. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and reserve.
Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and reserved corn puree in a heavy saucepan. Slowly whisk or beat in the remaining 1-1/4 cups cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 12 minutes; do not boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved warm cream mixture; remove and discard the lemon peel and vanilla bean, if used. Add the vanilla extract, if using. Pour the mixture into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate until cold, at least several hours or as long as overnight.
Strain the chilled corn mixture through a wire sieve into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Yield: About 1-1/2 quarts (6 to 8 servings).
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Staff illustration by Molly Quinn