Creamy cheese toasties, chowder and salad with sweetcorn as star of the show
For years I had a London Transport poster, designed in 1920 by Edward McKnight Kauffer, on my bedroom wall. It was called Flowers o’ the Corn and showed a graphic but golden world of poppies, daisies and cornflowers growing among corn and grasses. The last line, at the bottom of the poster, read, ‘How near the corn grows.’
I assume these posters were designed to compel you to get on a train, to go to the country, to explore. This one made me dream not of England, but America, and I only realised recently that I completely misread the last line, transposing the letters of the first two words.
‘Now hear the corn grow,’ I used to whisper when I looked at the image.
How often I daydreamed about lying in a field in the Midwest, ears of corn towering above me, the grasses swaying in the breeze, concentrating on the sound as the corn stretched towards the sun.
I know how good barbecued corn is, but I’d never thought it worth removing the kernels themselves. How wrong I was
It was hard to connect this with the straight-from-the-freezer corn on the cobs we ate at home, although they were served with some ceremony (there were even special plates for them). We fancied, as we let nuggets of salty butter melt over them, that we were the Walton family. (‘That was some corn we had, Jim Bob!’ ‘It sure was – good night, Mary Ellen!’ ‘Good night, Jim Bob’).
American friends tell me, winking, that you can lie in a cornfield at night and hear the rustle. As it grows the cornstalk expands, tearing and stretching and making a crackling sound. This happens slowly, but scientists have recorded it and speeded the process up.
Why am I preaching about corn this summer? Because I feel like a lazy fraud. My children love corn so much I use it frozen and tinned all year round. I never take the time to strip the kernels off when fresh corn is in season. But this year a friend brought me a big bagful.
I removed the kernels in strips, working from top to bottom, and watched as the sweet milky juice flowed. Then I tossed them with oil and some unsalted butter and stuck them in the oven.
Some kernels toasted until they were brown, others turned gold, the smell reminded me of caramelised sugar and the cinema (popcorn). I put these roasted kernels – warm – into salads, turned them into Mexican side dishes and spicy corn cakes.
I know how good barbecued corn – blistered and smoky – is, but I’d never thought it worth removing the kernels themselves. How wrong I was. Do it.
And if you want to listen to the crackling of the cornstalks as they expand, you can find recordings online.
Now hear the corn grow.
Prawns, roasted corn, courgette and avocado salad with chilli-lime dressing
SERVES
6
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing
1½ tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 red and 1 green chilli, halved, deseeded and very finely sliced
juice of 2 limes
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp honey (optional)
For the salad
3 ears of corn
2½ tbsp olive oil
2 just-ripe avocados
2 medium courgettes, ends trimmed
juice of 2 limes
6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped on the diagonal
500-600g king prawns
50g coriander, leaves and stems (remove any coarse stems)
METHOD
Put the shallot, chilli and the lime juice for the dressing in a small bowl. Season and add the extra-virgin olive oil, whisking it in with a fork. Taste and add a little honey if you want to.
Leave to sit – the shallot and chilli will flavour the dressing. It’s best to do this a good hour before you want to use it.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
Hold an ear of corn standing up in a shallow roasting tin. Using a sharp knife, cut down the sides, removing the kernels as you work round the head. Repeat with the other two ears.
Toss with half of the oil and salt and pepper in the tin.
Roast for 20 minutes, tossing the corn around every so often. Some of the corn should be a little scorched – it tastes great.
Halve and stone the avocados and remove the skin. Chop the flesh, putting it into a bowl with the juice of one lime as you do so. Season.
Shave the courgettes on the diagonal, either using a mandolin or a very sharp knife. Put these into a broad shallow serving bowl with the corn, avocado and spring onions.
Put the prawns on a double layer of kitchen paper and dab them with more kitchen paper to dry them – if they’re wet they don’t fry well. Heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan or wok.
Add the prawns and fry until they’ve turned pink. Add some lime juice, season and throw on to the salad with the coriander. Pour on the dressing and toss everything together.
Creamed-corn, cheddar and spring-onion toasties
SERVES
4
INGREDIENTS
3 ears of corn
25g butter, plus more for spreading
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red and 1 green chilli, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, grated to a purée
150ml double cream
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
squeeze of lemon
8 slices of bread (boule or sourdough, whatever you want, but good bread)
125g mature cheddar cheese, finely sliced or coarsely grated
METHOD
Remove the kernels from the ears by standing each one in a bowl and slicing them off with a sharp knife in strips, from top to bottom, working your way round each one.
Put the kernels in a pot of boiling water and cook for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Drain.
Melt 25g of the butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion until it is soft but not coloured.
Add the chilli and cook for another few minutes, then add the garlic, double cream and the drained corn.
Bring the cream to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, just until the mixture is thick and the cream has reduced. Put into a food processor and, using the pulse button, whizz a few times until you have a rough puree (some kernels should still be whole).
Stir in the spring onions, add a squeeze of lemon and season.
Generously butter each piece of bread on one side. Spoon the corn puree on to four of the slices (unbuttered side up) and lay the cheese on top. Top with the rest of the slices, buttered side up. Toast in a sandwich maker if you have one.
If you don’t, heat a large frying pan or griddle pan and cook, pressing the sandwiches down with a heavy saucepan, on both sides, until nice and golden. The cheese should be oozing out the sides.
Serve with pickled chilllis or dill pickled cucumbers.
Corn, bacon and wild-rice chowder
SERVES
6
INGREDIENTS
75g wild rice
2 ears of corn
knob of butter (about 10g)
250g big chunks of bacon or pancetta
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, diced
1 litre well-flavoured chicken stock (preferably home-made)
300g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks about 2cm square
175ml double cream
2 tbsp chopped chives
METHOD
Cover the wild rice with water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for about 35 minutes. It won’t soften like regular rice but will retain its nuttiness.
Remove the kernels from the ears by standing each one in a bowl and slicing them off with a sharp knife in strips from top to bottom. Work your way round each ear.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the bacon until the pieces are well coloured all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the corn to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes, turning the kernels over in the fat and allowing them to toast nicely.
Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook until soft but not coloured – about 12 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Season lightly.
Turn the heat down to medium and leave to simmer for 10 minutes, then add the potatoes and bacon and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender – approximately another 15 minutes.
Add the cream and bring to the boil again. Turn down to a vigorous simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes. You can mash some of the potatoes – just press them with the back of a wooden spoon – if you want to thicken the chowder.
Drain the wild rice, rinse it under boiling water, add it to the pan with the chives and heat through. Check the seasoning and serve.
