CREAMED CORN

SERVES 4

Grilled, boiled, or roasted corn is a reliable summer side. Cream it like they do in the South and Midwest and it’s serious comfort food, paired with everything from steak to fish to chicken dishes. A tip for tidily removing kernels from the cob: set the tip of your ear of corn at the bottom of a large bowl on an angle and shave off the kernels with a chef’s knife, rotating the ear as you go. If fresh on-the-cob corn isn’t in season, you may substitute frozen corn; each ear equals about a ¾ cup kernels.

6 ears corn, shucked, or 3½ cups frozen sweet corn

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

CUT corn from the cobs, place kernels in a bowl, and set aside.

HEAT the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the corn, the garlic, and the shallot. Toss to coat and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add ¾ cup of the cream, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

PLACE the corn mixture into a blender or use an immersion blender to puree. Add the remaining ¼ cup of cream and continue blending until the mixture is almost smooth.

RETURN the puree to the saucepan and stir in the remaining corn. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.