Recipes - Get corn right
WEB EXCLUSIVE
A much-loved side dish with summer meals is good old fashioned corn on the cob. Farm fresh corn during the summer is very abundant and popular in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia where I live, but I know that there are many other areas also rich in this agricultural gold. No matter where one resides in North America, it always seems to be available fresh during the summer.
Economically, the most produced corn is a high starch variety mainly for feeding livestock, while sweet corn for human consumption ranks second. Sweet Jubilee and Peaches & Cream varieties are the most readily available here in B.C.
Whole corn on the cob should either be eaten on the day of purchase or stored in the refrigerator, as the natural sugars convert to starch in the presence of warm temperatures. Storage of corn can be in their original state, or husked and put in a plastic bag. Whole frozen corn will keep well in the freezer for about one year, while kernels separated from the cob are best kept frozen for no more than approximately three months.
Corn can be a very healthy part of a balanced diet as its dietary profile includes vitamin B1, folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus, and manganese. Everything however should be consumed in moderation, including the amount of butter and salt that is applied to the finished product. Fresh cracked pepper is one of my favourite toppings (along with the butter and salt) and is a great way to add tons of flavour. Let your creativity run wild in the kitchen and discover what else you can top your corn on the cob with. Other ideas would be chilli powder, dry herbs, flavoured butters, or even wrapping them in bacon. The internet and local libraries are full of great recipe ideas.
The uses for fresh corn on the cob do not stop with just cooking whole. By standing the corn on end, carefully take a sharp knife and run it down the cob to remove the kernels. This will allow you to enjoy the fresh taste of corn in any recipe that calls for kernels of corn. One tip to catch the kernels efficiently is to use an angel food cake pan. With the cake pan sitting securely on a damp towel on the counter, stand the point of the cob of corn on the inner tube of the pan coming up the center. This will help to keep the cob steady and the falling removed kernels will collect in the cake pan.
Dear Chef Dez:
My family loves corn on the cob. I normally just boil them, as it seems to be the easiest way. Is there another way to cook it that is just as easy?
Emily D.
Abbotsford
Dear Emily:
Barbecues tend to be another family favourite. One way of doing this is to remove the silk from the corn while leaving the rest of the corn and husk intact. Soak them in water for a minimum of two hours, and grill them whole on the barbeque for about ten to twenty minutes. The cobs of corn will steam in their husks and will have a fresher taste. Alternatively, all of the husk and silk can be removed before grilling and all the corn kernels on the cob will be directly on the grill. This will provide more of a charred smoky taste to the corn.
Send your food/cooking questions to dez@chefdez.com or P.O. Box 2674, Abbotsford, B.C., V2T 6R4. Visit him at www.chefdez.com.
Economically, the most produced corn is a high starch variety mainly for feeding livestock, while sweet corn for human consumption ranks second. Sweet Jubilee and Peaches & Cream varieties are the most readily available here in B.C.
Whole corn on the cob should either be eaten on the day of purchase or stored in the refrigerator, as the natural sugars convert to starch in the presence of warm temperatures. Storage of corn can be in their original state, or husked and put in a plastic bag. Whole frozen corn will keep well in the freezer for about one year, while kernels separated from the cob are best kept frozen for no more than approximately three months.
Corn can be a very healthy part of a balanced diet as its dietary profile includes vitamin B1, folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus, and manganese. Everything however should be consumed in moderation, including the amount of butter and salt that is applied to the finished product. Fresh cracked pepper is one of my favourite toppings (along with the butter and salt) and is a great way to add tons of flavour. Let your creativity run wild in the kitchen and discover what else you can top your corn on the cob with. Other ideas would be chilli powder, dry herbs, flavoured butters, or even wrapping them in bacon. The internet and local libraries are full of great recipe ideas.
The uses for fresh corn on the cob do not stop with just cooking whole. By standing the corn on end, carefully take a sharp knife and run it down the cob to remove the kernels. This will allow you to enjoy the fresh taste of corn in any recipe that calls for kernels of corn. One tip to catch the kernels efficiently is to use an angel food cake pan. With the cake pan sitting securely on a damp towel on the counter, stand the point of the cob of corn on the inner tube of the pan coming up the center. This will help to keep the cob steady and the falling removed kernels will collect in the cake pan.
Dear Chef Dez:
My family loves corn on the cob. I normally just boil them, as it seems to be the easiest way. Is there another way to cook it that is just as easy?
Emily D.
Abbotsford
Dear Emily:
Barbecues tend to be another family favourite. One way of doing this is to remove the silk from the corn while leaving the rest of the corn and husk intact. Soak them in water for a minimum of two hours, and grill them whole on the barbeque for about ten to twenty minutes. The cobs of corn will steam in their husks and will have a fresher taste. Alternatively, all of the husk and silk can be removed before grilling and all the corn kernels on the cob will be directly on the grill. This will provide more of a charred smoky taste to the corn.
Send your food/cooking questions to dez@chefdez.com or P.O. Box 2674, Abbotsford, B.C., V2T 6R4. Visit him at www.chefdez.com.
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