Unlike a lot of other vegetables, which I came to love and appreciate in later life, I’ve always had a soft spot for corn. To me it will always bring back images of the local fair or carnival when I was a kid, annoying Dad to give me some money so I could go to the stall and get corn on the cob, impaled on a stick, steaming and dripping with butter. There’s nothing quite like it! And it was much better value for money than all the sideshows.
RECIPES
FRESH BABY CORN, HERB SALT & BUTTER
FRESH CORN SALAD, SHRIMP, JALAPEÑO, RED ONION & CRÈME FRAÎCHE
SOFT PARMESAN POLENTA WITH CRAB & MUSSELS
Even after I came to Australia as an adult, I would always get a corn on the cob to eat as I was walking around the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne. I tend to think of it as a “meaty” vegetable—I mean, there is no delicate way to eat corn on the cob. As with lamb chops, you have to get in there and use your hands, really get involved. That’s what makes it so fun.
There is an old saying that corn picked longer than two hours has lost all its flavor. This could be true, as I have many a time picked the knobbly bugger, cooked her straight away and the flavor is truly intense. Fresh just-picked corn has that slight natural licorice flavor to it that seems to disappear after a few hours, but if you know a corn grower, like I do, ask him to pick the baby immature corn for you and leave the husk on it—these should keep longer and retain a little of the licorice flavor.
When explorer Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas he also “discovered” corn, which is also known by the aliases maize and corn, depending on where you are in the world. Corn, which is actually considered a grass, not a grain, was a staple of the indigenous peoples of South America, although it looked a lot different to the tightly packed cobs that we know today and more like a kind of wheat. The Europeans would probably not have survived on the inhospitable American shores if they hadn’t embraced this versatile vegetable and learned from the natives how to cultivate and tend their crop.
Now corn is so firmly embedded in world cuisine that it’s hard to remember that it’s only been on European and Asian tables since the 1500s. Could you imagine a Chinese menu without chicken and corn soup? Or Italy without polenta? It has been embraced right across the world from Mexico to Africa, especially among the poorer nations as a valuable source of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.
But here is something to think about—you have probably never realized that not a day goes by without you eating corn or a derivative of it in some shape or form, which is not so surprizing as corn is at the top of the world’s seven most farmed crops. But what form the corn takes is the surprizing part. I mean, I love Mars bars, but only recently realized they were made from corn, with corn syrup being one of the main sweeteners. There are more than 3,000 products that are made from or contain corn, including the more obvious food items like cornmeal (also known as polenta), cornstarch, popcorn, cornbread, corn chips, tortillas, Southern American specialty foods likes grits and hominy, and Dr Kellogg’s most famous invention, Corn Flakes. But there are a lot of products that have less obvious uses for corn, and most of them aren’t culinary. There are baby powders, fuels, plastics, paper, batteries, cosmetics, insecticides, toothpastes, textiles and explosives. And that’s just a few from a seriously long list. It is so much more than the readily available veg.
For now, though, let’s forget about mass-production and think about a small plot and how to get the best results. I first tried to grow corn about seven years ago. It wasn’t a roaring success. What little ears I did manage to grow were small and patchy, with not many kernels at all. I think I was too concerned with spacing and didn’t really think about the fact that corn isn’t a self-pollinating plant. It needs our help for the male part, which is the top-most flowering section, to pollinate the female, which is the part that becomes the fruit. So with the next plot I tried, I really just crowded the seeds together and I didn’t thin the plants out because I knew now that as they mature the motion of them brushing against one another is what is going to give you more fruit.
Experiment with different types and colors of corn. Move away from plain old yellow and get into white, red and black corn or even a mixture. There are so many different heirloom varieties to choose from. The best thing is that after a successful crop, all you need to do is save a couple of ears and dry out the kernels in a warm spot, or low oven, and you will have seeds for the following year. You’ll find there’s nothing quite like the sweetness of those milky kernels plucked straight from the plant and eaten fresh. Amazing.
FRESH BABY CORN, HERB SALT & BUTTER
SERVES 4 AS A LITTLE SNACK OR CANAPÉ
Baby corn is essential for this and it needs to be fresh and in season. Make sure you buy ears with the husks still on so the corn stays sweeter and fresher. It’s important to serve the corn warm to get that small hint of licorice flavor from them.
16 EARS BABY CORN, HUSKS REMOVED
3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER, MELTED
HERB SALT (SEE RECIPE), FOR SPRINKLING
Cook the corn in salted boiling water over medium heat for 5–7 minutes. You want the corn to still be a little crisp. Drain and place the corn in a bowl, add the butter and herb salt and toss to coat.
FRESH CORN SALAD, SHRIMP, JALAPEÑO, RED ONION & CRÈME FRAÎCHE
SERVES 4 AS A MAIN
This is a dish I have made in various forms many a time but I tried and tested this version on two good friends, Jenni Draper and Rosanne Hyland, my former bosses from Circa, so the pressure was on. Luckily all went well and they heartily agreed with me that this is a truly splendid main course salad, so fresh and flavorsome.
2 EARS CORN, HUSKS REMOVED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 ⅔ CUPS SUNFLOWER OIL
1 SPRIG TARRAGON
12 RAW LARGE SHRIMP, PEELED AND DEVEINED
2 TABLESPOONS PICKLED JALAPEÑO, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
¼ RED ONION, THINLY SLICED
1 SHORT CUCUMBER, QUARTERED AND CUT INTO CHUNKS
2 TABLESPOONS CRÈME FRAÎCHE
JUICE OF ½ LEMON
3 SCALLIONS, THINLY SLICED
2 TABLESPOONS MINT LEAVES, SHREDDED
1 BUNCH SMALL-LEAF CILANTRO
Fill a saucepan with 6 cups of water, add the corn and some salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 9–12 minutes. Once cooked, take off the heat and allow the corn to cool in the liquid, then shave the kernels from the cobs, using a sharp knife, and place into a large bowl. Discard the cooking water and ears or save to make a broth (see Note).
Place the sunflower oil and tarragon in a 4-cup capacity saucepan and bring to a simmer, then immediately take off the heat and add the shrimp. Leave for 5–10 minutes. You only want to slightly confit the shrimp. You can, if you like, steam the shrimp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the jalapeño, onion, cucumber, crème fraîche and 8 of the shrimp along with 1 teaspoon of the confit oil, lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and mix gently. Mix in half of the scallion, mint and cilantro. Arrange on a plate and top with the rest of the shrimp, scallion and herbs.
Note Add the cobs of the corn back to the saucepan of cooking water and simmer for 6–10 minutes or until the flavor has intensified. Now, you have a beautiful vegetarian broth to use in soups or purées.
NONNA LEAH’S CORNBREAD
MAKES ABOUT 30 TRIANGLES
A fantastic afternoon snack out in the backyard overlooking the garden, or simply substitute for toast with your breakfast.
3 EARS FRESHLY SHAVED CORN KERNELS
1 GENEROUS CUP LIGHT CREAM
½ CUP BUTTER
1 RED ONION, FINELY DICED
1 TABLESPOON SWEET CHILI SAUCE
1 FREE-RANGE OR ORGANIC EGG
¾ CUP MILK
3 TABLESPOONS BUTTERMILK
12 OUNCES CREAMED CORN (SEE ABOVE)
1 CUP POLENTA
1 CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, SIFTED
1½ TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
½ TEASPOON COOKING SALT
⅔ CUP CHEDDAR, GRATED
For the creamed corn, place the corn and cream in a 4-cup capacity saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 40–50 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer into a container and chill until ready to serve. This is also great just as a corn purée. (Makes 12 ounces.)
For the cornbread, preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking dish (measuring 12 × 7½ × 1½ inches).
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the sweet chili sauce and heat through.
Whisk the egg, milk and buttermilk together in a bowl, then stir in the creamed corn.
Mix the polenta, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture, onion mixture and cheese. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 60–65 minutes. Test with a skewer to see if it’s ready, then remove from the dish and leave to cool slightly on a wire rack. Portion into small triangles and serve straight away as a little snack in the afternoon. It will keep wrapped in parchment paper and stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
SOFT PARMESAN POLENTA WITH CRAB & MUSSELS
SERVES 4
This is one of those dishes that came about because of a mistake I made while cooking at home. I had used far too much liquid to cook my polenta but it turned into a beauty of a dish. I added mascarpone and Parmesan, some shrimp and mussels and voila! I served it with a simple arugula salad—it needs the fresh bite of some salad leaves to accompany it. The next day at Circa, I played around with the dish and a week later it was on the menu. It’s now one of my favorite dishes to make and marries amazingly with a glass of chardonnay. I like to serve it in a copper pan in the middle of the table and let people help themselves, then freshly slice truffle over the top (that is when truffles are in season and I’ve had a lucky day at the races).
2 POUNDS 4 OUNCES LOCAL MUSSELS, DEBEARDED AND CLEANED
1 ⅔ CUPS WHITE WINE
10½ OUNCES COOKED CRABMEAT, PICKED OVER AND CHECKED FOR ANY SHELL
1 CUP INSTANT POLENTA
PINCH FINE SEA SALT
25 TURNS OF BLACK PEPPER FROM A MILL
½ CUP FINELY GRATED PARMESAN
2 TABLESPOONS TRUFFLE OIL
1 TABLESPOON MASCARPONE
2 TABLESPOONS CHERVIL LEAVES, CHOPPED
2 TABLESPOONS ITALIAN PARSLEY LEAVES, CHOPPED
JUICE OF 1 LEMON
Heat a 8-cup capacity saucepan over high heat and heat for 1 minute or so until hot, then add the mussels (you should be able to hear them bubbling) and stir for 2 minutes. Add the wine, put the lid on and cook for exactly 5 minutes. Take off the heat and pass through a fine strainer, reserving the mussel cooking liquid for later. While the mussels are warm, take the meat out of the shells, removing any stray pieces of beard or grit. Roughly chop the mussel meat and combine with the crabmeat.
Rinse out the pan you used to cook the mussels. Add the polenta and 2 cups of the reserved mussel cooking water and also 2 cups of water and cook, stirring all the time, over medium heat. Stir for about 6–9 minutes or until you cannot feel any grains on your tongue when you taste it. The consistency you’re after is a smooth soft-cooked polenta kind of like porridge. Now, turn down the heat to low, add the salt, pepper and Parmesan and cook until the cheese has melted into the mixture. Take off the heat, stir in the mussel and crab mixture and the rest of the ingredients and serve straight away. I’d recommend a salad with this to cut the richness of it; try the shaved fennel and mozzarella salad with braised goat neck or the simple pick your own salad (see recipe).
