You have been using corn all wrong
The unexpected flavor pairings and genius recipe ideas using corn you need to try this summer
I was standing in the sweltering Milan sun, licking scoops of sweet, buttery corn and creamy avocado ice cream from the Mexican pavilion at the World Expo when my food rules completely shattered.
Growing up in Germany corn was reserved for savoury dishes. And boy did I love corn. It was my favourite pizza topping as a child. And I am not sure what I loved more about eating buttery corn on the cob - the copious amounts of melted butter and salt or the sweet and juicy kernels (which, to be frank, always ended up getting stuck in my teeth!). In fact, I could happily finish off an entire can of corn spoon in hand!
And then I started travelling. And one of the biggest lessons I learned travelling is that any rule around whether certain ingredients are for use in savoury cooking only are quite arbitrary. Take turmeric for example. Depending on where you grew up you might think of it as simply the spice that lends an earthy flavour and yellow colour to curries and other savoury dishes. Yet it is also commonly used in Haldi Doodh (a sweet and milky warm drink that is India’s home remedy for all sorts of ailments) as well as anise-scented Lebanese Sfouf cake.
And the same holds true in the case of corn. And it makes perfect sense when you think about it - it is naturally sweet and has a wonderfully buttery flavour once cooked. So for this week’s Ingredient Spotlight we will take a look at all things corn - what to pair it with and some delicious recipe ideas to make the most of summery corn.
For past editions of the Ingredient Spotlight series click on the following links: Black Limes, Buckwheat, Coconut, Fig Leaves, Hibiscus, Hojicha, Labneh, Mahleb, Makrut Lime Leaves, Miso, Olive Oil, Orange Blossom Water, Preserved Lemons, Rose Water, Sesame, Spice Mixes, Sumac, Tamarind, Tonka Bean, Turmeric and Vinegar.
And can you believe that this already marks Newsletter No. 123?!
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From the Archives
This time last year: Flavour-maxing: the latest party trick or an old hat?
This time two years ago: How to set up a successful supperclub
And as I was flicking through my beloved Fou de Pâtisserie on the way back from a work trip to Luxembourg, what did I come across? A half-page spread all about different corn products noting that “le maïs a le vent en poupe sur le domaine sucré”, i.e. corn is having a moment in sweets!
What is corn?
Corn or sweetcorn (sometimes also referred to as sugar corn and pole corn) is a variety of corn (maize) grown for human consumption with a relatively high sugar content (hence the name sweetcorn).
An interesting little fact about sweetcorn is that it must be harvested while immature to preserve its sweetness. This is because as part of the maturation process the sugar in the sweetcorn converts to starch. This also means sweetcorn doesn’t keep very well and is ideally eaten fresh or processed within a short time window from harvest and before the kernels turn tough and starchy.
What does corn taste like?
Sweet and milky with a distinct “corny” flavour that becomes much more pronounced when corn is grilled or roasted which also brings out some delicious smoky, nutty and caramel like flavours.
What does corn go well with?
I didn’t grow up enjoying corn in sweet dishes but I was hooked the moment I tried my first Milkbar Corn Cookie. I have since played around quite a bit with corn in desserts. Here are some of my favourite flavour pairings for corn: blueberries, white chocolate, cream cheese, miso, brown butter, milk chocolate, sea salt, feta, honey, chili.
Other pairings include: brown sugar, black pepper, lime juice, coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, avocado, basil.
Niki Segnit in The Flavour Thesaurus, More Flavours includes the following additional suggested pairings: buckwheat, cinnamon, cranberry, elderflower, honey, lemon, maple syrup, pine nut, plum and rye.
My kitchen philosophy is all about showing you how to make the most of your pantry - no more single-purpose ingredients or dusty jars at the back of the fridge.
Below, I’ve curated an exclusive list of delicious corn recipes to completely transform how you look at corn and use it in your kitchen, including my personal recipe for Toasted Corn and Miso Loaf with Blueberry Compote and a decadent Corn Tiramisu. This curated recipe list is exclusive to paid community members.
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