Corn is packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals. But did you know that it can also be used to make delicious main meals, salads and desserts?
Starters – Corn and Zucchini Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, husked.
- Kosher salt.
- 4 small zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise.
- 8–10 zucchini blossoms, torn into large pieces (optional).
- ÂĽ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil.
- ÂĽ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
- â…“ cup of olive oil.
- ÂĽ cup white wine vinegar.
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- 1 cup of feta, crumbled.
Method
- Cook the corn in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright yellow and tender, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate and let it cool.
- Cut kernels from cobs and place in a large bowl. Add zucchini, zucchini blossoms, basil, parsley, oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.
- Top with feta and serve.
Tip: Corn can be cooked one day ahead. Cut kernels from cobs; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
Mains – Corn Fritters
Ingredients
- 2-4 eggs.
- 2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced.
- 1 stem green garlic, both white and green parts, thinly sliced.
- 1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese.
- ½ cup chopped coriander.
- 6 ears of corn, shucked.
- 1/3 to 1 cups whole wheat flour.
- Sea salt, to taste.
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
- Olive oil, for frying.
Method
- Slice the tops of the kernels off the corn, leaving approximately 3 cups of kernels. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add 2 eggs, scallion, green garlic, cilantro, cheese, and 1/3 cup flour to the bowl of corn kernels.
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- Combine all the ingredients (preferably using your hands) until well combined. Take a golf ball-sized scoop of the mixture and squeeze in your palms. If it’s barely holding together, mix in another egg and 1/3 cup of flour.
- Test again; and if they hold together, they are ready to fry.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. After lightly oiling your hands, prepare a golf ball-sized amount of batter and carefully drop into the oil.
- Reduce heat to medium and gently flatten with a spatula. After 2 minutes, flip the fritter and cook for 2 minutes until evenly golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined dish and immediately season with sea salt.
- Continue cooking fritters, continuously replenishing oil in the pan, until all the batter is used. If the batter begins to dry during frying process, simply mix in a final egg and 1/3 cup of flour.
Desert – Sweetcorn Crème BrulĂ©
Ingredients
- 2 cups of heavy cream.
- 1 corn on the cob, kernels cut off and cob chopped.
- Pinch of salt.
- 5 tablespoons brown granulated sugar.
- ÂĽ vanilla bean, scraped.
- 3 large egg yolks.
Method
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsps of sugar with the scraped vanilla bean until it’s evenly spread throughout the sugar.
- In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, chopped cobs, corn kernels, salt and vanilla sugar.
- Bring the cream to a light boil; immediately turn off the heat, cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes.
- Run the cream through a sieve, pressing the kernels with the back of a wooden spoon to release any liquids.
- Preheat the oven to 148°C. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar (3 tablespoons) and egg yolks.
- Ladle 1/4 cup of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking the entire time. Add the remaining warm cream mixture and whisk until completely combined.
- Run the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any eggy bits that might have cooked. Divide the custard between ramekins (you should be able to fill about 5 to 6).
- Place the ramekins in a large baking dish. Transfer the baking dish to the rack of the oven and then, using a kettle, pour enough water into the baking pan so it reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm but still jiggly. Carefully remove the warm ramekins and allow to cool slightly on the kitchen counter before transfer to the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.
- Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of sugar over each custard.
- Using a torch that’s about 4cm above the surface of the custard, consistently move the flame until the sugar bubbles, turns a light golden brown and creates a smooth surface.
- Serve.