SELECTION
Ears should have green husks, moist stems and silk ends free of decay. Kernels should be small, tender, plump, milky when pierced and lined up to fill all spaces in the rows.
STORAGE
Keep unshucked fresh corn in the refrigerator wrapped in damp paper towels inside a plastic bag. Shelf life is four to six days.
PREPARATION
To steam: Remove husks and silks. Trim stem ends. Stand ears in a tall pot with 1 inch of water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 5 minutes.
To microwave: Place ears of corn, still in husks, in a single layer in the microwave. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, turning the ears halfway through cooking time. Allow corn to rest before removing husks and silks.
To boil: Remove husks and silks. Trim stem ends. Carefully place ears in large pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until the kernels are tender.
Corn tastes even better with a smoky flavor. Here’s how to grill corn in the husk from Fine Cooking:
Peel: Tear away outer layers of husk. If ears have many layers, peel off the first few, leaving layers for protection but allowing kernels to caramelize a little.
Grill: Put corn on the grill as soon as the initial flames from the charcoal die down and coals are red-hot. Corn protected by its husk is forgiving, so if a few flames lick the ears and light the husks, don’t worry.
Turn often: Grill corn, turning often, until the first layer of husk is charred. This could take 5 to 10 minutes. You can push the corn to a cooler spot if you’re grilling other things, or transfer grilled corn to a platter and keep it warm in the charred husks until serving.
Brown kernels: Just before serving, peel back the husk and brown kernels on the grill, turning corn frequently. You don’t need to oil corn, but if it stays on the grill too long without the protection of the husk, kernels will be dry and chewy.
Remove corn from husk: Cut the stem end up to the bottom of the ear and peel back the husks and brush off silk.
Summer Corn Cakes With Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa
For corn cakes:
3 ears corn, shucked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Canola oil, for frying
For salsa:
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
1 scallion, trimmed and minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1-1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 avocado, peeled and diced
To make corn cakes: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line baking sheet with brown paper bag. Cut corn from cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife (or a spoon) to release juices into bowl.
Place 2 cups corn kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into bowl with the remaining corn kernels. Add flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to mix. Add eggs, buttermilk and butter, and stir just to combine; do not overmix.
Place a large skillet over medium heat, add just enough canola oil to barely cover bottom, and heat until sizzling hot. Scoop batter into skillet, one heaping tablespoon at a time. Cook in batches of 4 to 5 to avoid overcrowding. Fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Drain on a lined baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining corn cakes.
Serve warm topped with salsa. Makes a dozen cakes.
To make salsa: Put tomato, scallion, jalapeno, cilantro, basil, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl, and stir. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve, for up to 2 days. Just before serving, add avocado, and mix gently. Makes 2 cups.
Source: From Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen
Fresh Corn and Red Pepper Tamales
8 ears of corn (enough for 24 corn husks and 1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels)
1/2 cup red pepper dice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sour cream and paprika for garnish
Remove husks from corn, saving the large inner ones and discarding the very outer and small inside husks (you’ll need 3 husks for each tamale). In a large bowl, cover husks with hot water and leave to soak.
With a sharp knife over a large bowl, remove corn kernels from cobs, saving all the juices. You should have about 1-1/2 cups corn. Add red pepper, sour cream, milk, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper, and stir.
Drain husks thoroughly in a colander and pat dry with paper towels. Place about 1/4 cup corn filling onto 1 husk and spread it slightly lengthwise. Bring top and bottom ends to the center, overlapping slightly. Wrap another husk around it lengthwise, forming a cylindrical shape. Use one more husk to seal and secure the shape by wrapping the opposite way. Using butchers twine, tie securely crosswise and make a knot.
Place tamales in a steamer over simmering water, and steam for 1 hour. Remove with slotted spatula. Cut strings and remove. Cool slightly, then serve with dollop of sour cream and a drift of paprika.
Source: Food Network
Smoky Corn and Jalapeno Dip
2 large ears of corn, husks on
2 jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated pepper Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Set grill to medium high heat. Grill corn with husks on for 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes, until outsides are lightly charred. During last 5 minutes, grill jalapeno peppers until lightly blackened.
Remove husks and silks from corn, and cut kernels off the cob. Seed and mince jalapeno peppers, reserving seeds if more heat is desired.
In a large bowl, mix corn, jalapeno, mayonnaise, sour cream and cheeses until well combined. Add smoked paprika and kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Chill until ready to use. Serve with chips.
Source: From Thekitchn.com
