SWEET CORN
It’s hard to beat the juicy burst of sweet corn
kernels straight from the cob. Peel back the husk of a fresh ear of corn
(stripping away the silk) and we are munching through the neat rows of
yellow or white kernels of a very big grass seed head that was
cultivated in the Americas for thousands of years before Christopher
Columbus arrived on the scene.
Although “officially” a grain, the particular variety we tuck
into is very much eaten immature as a vegetable. Boil, steam, microwave,
bake or barbecue and serve piping hot with just a dot of butter and
sprinkle of salt. Or add the kernels to soups, stews and stir fries;
fritters and frittatas; chowders and crepes; salsas and salads; muffins,
breads and corn cakes, and toss whole baby corn into stir-fries.
Buy
cobs with fresh green unblemished husks that fit snugly with moist
slightly brown silky tassels intact. (If the tassels are black or dry,
the corn is old: if dry and pale the corn is immature) if you can get a
peek at the kernels, they should be tightly packed, plump, shiny and
smaller at the tip than they are in the middle (this indicates a young
cob). When sweet corn is really fresh, the kernels will release a milky
liquid when cut. As the natural sugars in the kernels start converting
to starch once the husk is removed, resist buying pre-packed shucked
ears. Snap-frozen cobs and kernels make a handy year-round substitute.
Wholegrain products made from corn include:
- Polenta, a coarsely ground dried corn that is actually a type of grits. (Avoid instant polenta, it may be convenient and foolproof but it’s not the same at all.)
- Corn grits, which are chopped up dried kernels that you can use in soups or stews or serve as a side dish.
- Hominy grits are corn grits that have been treated with an alkaline solution (nixtamalized).
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