Smoky niblets
You know how I feel about corn. On the off-season, I sometimes turn to canned or frozen corn, but am usually disappointed. Canned tastes canned (which is actually a very nice thing in cornbread, to which I like to add a can of creamed corn), and frozen gets tough if you cook it for more than about twelve seconds. That’s a shame, because I like my corn cooked more like twelve minutes. My favorite thing to do with the stuff in summer is cook it off the cob in a skillet with bacon, scallions, and fresh jalapeños, until each kernel gets a little browned.
So imagine my delight when I found frozen roasted corn at Trader Joe’s. They roast the hell out of it before freezing. Many of the kernels are downright charred. It tastes like corn bacon. I made a quick succotash last week (thanks again, Cook’s Illustrated) with the TJ’s corn, lima beans, onion, red bell pepper, and a little tarragon. We ate it with the catfish sandwiches, and there was plenty left over.
What else should I do with this blackened corn?
Comment by cn
Yum, put some in with creamy jack mac & cheese with green chilies.
In Vietnam they deep-fry corn kernels and serve them at beer halls. Great snack food. But you can use frozen for this - thaw and dry it then toss with starch/four mixture, throw in crushed garlic and fry until lightly browned. Eat with soy sauce w chili (using chopsticks).
Posted on June 6, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Comment by Neil
I think I’ll making a roasted corn ice cream in the near future…
Posted on June 6, 2007 at 5:56 pm
Comment by Kate
Salsa! Or make it into a corn and bean salad with some balsamic vinegar.
Posted on June 7, 2007 at 3:14 am
Comment by Susan Ely
Oooh, I have a good recipe for you! I used to have this on the menu at the Gourmet to Go shop I ran. It’s from “Pot Pies”: Comfort Food Under Cover by Diane Phillips.
Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Pie
3 cups fresh or frozen and defrosted corn kernels (I used roasted) 5 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks 2 tsp salt (Maybe not that much, if you’re using roasted) 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 Tbsp fresh dill weed 2 Tbsp melted butter 3-4 vine ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/2” slices 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 2 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 375. In a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, combine corn, zucchini, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, dill and mileted butter, tossing to coat the veggies. Cover the vegetables with the tomatoe slices. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over tomatoes and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.
Posted on June 7, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Comment by Patricia
I second the salsa idea.
I think you could also put some in cornbread (though not as a replacement for the creamed corn). I think that would produce a nice smoky addition to the cornbread.
Posted on June 8, 2007 at 10:10 am
Comment by Matt
No question, throw it into a stir-fry of summer vegetables and fresh chicken. Since it is already cooked, you can add it at the last second - still frozen even - and have the frsh flavor and color of corn as a welcome addition to a great stir fry!
Posted on June 11, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Comment by heather
we had it tonight in a salad of halved heirloom cherry tomatoes, diced red onion AND red pepper, fresh oregano, and a dressing of lime juice, olive oil, salt, and tabasco.
later this week we will have it in a chicken with cheese-n-corn sauce. because i am from the midwest, and nothing can’t be made better with a nap of cheese. woot.
Posted on June 11, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Comment by Kristel
I also just bought bag(s) of those lucious smokey kernels. I used them in a fantastic Spicy Shrimp/Corn salad…and then morphed the salad into an awesome soup.
In a large bowl toss 2 bags of the corn kernels, 1 finely diced english cucumber, 1/2 sliced red onion, 2 red bell peppers-julienned, the juice of 2 limes, 2 avocados -diced, one bunch of cilantro leaves, hot sauce to taste, salt, and a pound of shrimp (marinated in old bay seasoning and beer, and then grilled).
It was a wonderful main dish salad, particularly tasty with an ice cold beer.
However, the leftovers morphed into something even better the next day. I fished the shrimp out of the salad, tossed the entire mix (sans shrimp) into the blender, added 1 diced garlic clove, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1/4 cup sour cream, and 1/2 cup milk and blended (adding more milk to thin it as necessary). To serve, I floated the spicy shrimp on the cold roasted corn soup. Amazing.
Posted on June 15, 2007 at 9:19 am
Comment by mamster
Kristel, that sounds so good.
Posted on June 15, 2007 at 9:35 am
Comment by mamster
The smoky niblets appeared tonight in chicken tikka masala sandwiches. That is, leftover chicken tikka masala (homemade), stuffed into homemade flatbread (Iris and I made it), with corn. Top quality sandwich.
Posted on June 15, 2007 at 7:13 pm