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Overview
The texture, wholesome goodness, and flavor of corn make it a remarkably versatile grain, complementing everything from frittatas to Posole, souffles to Shepherd's Pie. In Corn, author Olwen Woodier celebrates this downhome, delicious, all-purpose comfort food through 140 easy-to-prepare recipes. There are Corn Starters: Tortilla Pizza, Blue Blazes Hush Puppies; Corn Soups: Tortilla Soup, Lobster and Corn Chowder; Corn Salads: Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad, Corn Pasta Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing; Corn in the Main: Salmon with Corn Pancakes, Corn-Tortilla Crusted Fish, Corn and Cheese Tamales; and Corn Breads: Bacon-Scallion Muffins, Skillet Corn Bread.
Woodier also includes a complete history of corn, a cook's primer on corn varieties, corn nutritional information, and special grower and chef profiles.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781612129723 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Storey Publishing, LLC |
| Publication date: | 04/17/2017 |
| Sold by: | Hachette Digital, Inc. |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 192 |
| File size: | 8 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Breakfasts & Breads
Nutritionists agree that the best way to boost morning energy and concentration is to eliminate foods that are high in sugar and replace them with those high in protein, and I have emphasized high-protein recipes in this chapter. Some recipes can be made quickly on weekday mornings. Others, though simple enough to make, are more suitable for weekends. Many lend themselves to reheating — for example, corn muffins, cornbreads, corn puddings, quiches, and polenta — in a toaster oven, microwave oven, or skillet, providing fast, high-protein breakfasts in minutes.
Romanian Mamaliga
Yield: 4 servings
Like oatmeal porridge, this version of cornmeal porridge is served hot and can be topped with butter, yogurt, sour cream, honey, or maple syrup. You can also convert this recipe into a polenta type of dish by spreading the porridge in a flat-bottomed pan, allowing it to cool, then cutting it into slices and frying them in hot butter for 1–2 minutes a side, until golden.
INGREDIENTS
* 3 cups water
* 1 cup coarse cornmeal
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and slowly add the cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
2. When the mixture is smooth, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
Buttermilk Cornmeal Waffles
Yield: 10 4-inch waffles
This basic buttermilk cornmeal recipe is for waffles, but you can use it for pancakes, too. I like to eat waffles with basted eggs or topped with blueberries and sliced bananas. However, they also taste delicious when sprinkled with sliced and seeded jalapeño chiles (wear gloves when handling chiles) and grated cheese and popped under the broiler for 1 minute.
INGREDIENTS
* ¾ cup cornmeal
* ¾ cup presifted all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
* ½ teaspoon baking powder
* ½ teaspoon baking soda
* ½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 egg
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar (if desired), baking powder, baking soda, ginger (if desired), and salt.
2. In a small bowl, beat together the buttermilk, egg, and oil until light and frothy.
3. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and combine thoroughly. Spoon onto a lightly oiled hot waffle iron and cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden.
Basic Pancakes
Yield: 4 servings
This is my regular recipe, and I use whatever cornmeal I have on hand, which may be white, yellow, or blue — preferably stone-ground. This also doubles as waffle batter. Sometimes I add 1 cup of creamed corn and eliminate the oil or butter. Occasionally, I like to serve stuffed pancakes as a main dish. I make them with ¼ cup of batter and use them in place of tortillas for Chicken Enchiladas - or patty shells for Curried Chicken and Corn -. You can also add 1 cup of diced ham and scallions to the recipe for Creamed Corn - and use that as a filling.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 1/3 cups low-fat milk
* ¾ cup all-purpose flour
* ½ cup cornmeal
* 2 eggs
* 2 tablespoons melted butter
* ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place all ingredients except the last 2 tablespoons of oil in a blender and blend for 1 minute, or beat by hand for 2 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet and add about 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake.
3. Cook over medium heat for 1–2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet for the last batch of pancakes. (If you are making waffles, heat the waffle iron and cook each waffle for about 2 minutes.)
Sour Cream Corn Pancakes
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels, crushed, or fresh corn kernels, scraped from the cob
* ½ cup all-purpose flour
* ¼ cup sour cream
* 2 eggs
* 4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Beat together the corn, flour, sour cream, eggs, and 2 tablespoons of the oil.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet and drop in the batter 2 tablespoons at a time.
3. Cook over medium heat for 1H–2 minutes a side, until golden brown. Serve hot.
Vegetable Pancakes
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup chopped cooked vegetables or grated raw vegetables (for example: carrots, peppers, zucchini) or chopped fruit (for example: apples, peaches, pears)
* 1 cup low-fat milk
* ½ cup cornmeal
* ½ cup all-purpose flour
* 1 egg, beaten
* 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the vegetables, milk, cornmeal, flour, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the oil.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet and drop in large spoonfuls of the batter.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter. Serve hot.
Johnnycakes
Enjoy johnnycakes with butter and maple syrup or molasses and ham, bacon, or sausage. In Rhode Island, they are also served with applesauce, creamed codfish, or chipped beef. There are two versions: Newport County and South County, both made from stone-ground Rhode Island Whitecap flint corn. Both claim to be the very best. Judge for yourself.
Newport County Johnnycakes
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
* 1¾ cups cold milk
* 1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
* ¶ teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted shortening
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine the milk, cornmeal, and salt. The batter will be soupy.
2. Heat the oil on a griddle and ladle large spoonfuls of the batter onto it. The cakes should be about 5 inches in diameter.
3. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes a side, or until golden brown.
South County Johnnycakes
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 teaspoon sugar or molasses (optional)
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or shortening
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Blend the cornmeal, water, sugar (if desired), and salt.
2. Heat the oil on a griddle and drop large spoonfuls of the batter onto it. The cakes should be about 3 inches in diameter.
3. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other.
Skillet Corn Pancakes
Yield: 4–6 servings
For this recipe, you can substitute a shallow baking dish for the ovenproof skillet. And don't hesitate to substitute veggie-soy crumbles for the turkey bacon. I do when making this for myself or for my daughter, Wendy.
INGREDIENTS
* 6 slices low-fat turkey bacon or / cup veggie-soy crumbles
* cooking oil spray (optional)
* 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
* 1 cup corn kernels (drained if canned, thawed if frozen)
* 1 cup low-fat milk
* cup all-purpose flour
* 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/3 2 eggs, separated
* ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450°F and have on hand an ovenproof skillet or use a 9- by 2-inch-deep baking dish.
2. In a skillet, cook the bacon for 4 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Crumble them into small pieces. If using veggie-soy crumbles, sauté in a skillet sprayed with cooking oil (I use olive oil spray).
3. Pour off and dispose of the bacon fat and put the oil into the ovenproof skillet. Place in the preheated oven.
4. Blend or process the corn, milk, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, egg yolks, and pepper for 30–40 seconds.
5. Beat the egg whites until stiff and stir into the corn mixture. Add the bacon.
6. Pour into the hot ovenproof skillet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400°F and bake 10 minutes longer. Best when served warm.
Corn Oysters
Yield: 4 servings
There's practically nothing to these airy little cakes. Eat them for breakfast with maple syrup or serve them as a vegetable side dish. If you want to make real corn oysters — oysters folded into a light cornmeal batter and fried until golden — seeThe Red Fox's Cornmeal Oysters with Salsa and Rémoulade -.
INGREDIENTS
* 2 eggs, separated
* 1½ cups corn kernels, crushed (if using fresh corn, scrape it from the cob)
* 1 tablespoon low-fat milk
* ¼ cup all-purpose flour
* ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2–4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl; stir in the corn and milk.
2. Add the flour and pepper and combine.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. When hot, drop in tablespoons of the batter (don't crowd the pan) and cook approximately 1/ minutes per side, until golden crisp and puffy.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil to the pan, if necessary, for each batch. Serve hot.
Breakfast Burritos with Corn Tortillas
Yield: 6 servings
This recipe is a crowd pleaser on a brunch table. Arrange bowls of the ingredients and let each person assemble his or her own burrito. I often use flour tortillas in place of the heavier corn variety and serve salsa and sour cream on the side. To make a neater burrito that doesn't fall apart, place a moderate amount of filling in the center, then fold in the sides before rolling it up. When I do the assembling, I top the scrambled-egg filling with a spoonful each of salsa and sour cream before folding the tortilla.
INGREDIENTS
* 12 eggs
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive or vege-table oil or melted butter
* 1 cup fresh, canned (drained), or frozen corn kernels
* 1 can (4–6 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
* 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
* 6 8-inch corn or flour tortillas
* 2–3 cups Tomato Salsa (see recipe on below)
* cup sour cream (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the corn and chiles, and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes.
4. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring gently, until the eggs form soft curds, about 6–8 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.
6. Warm the tortillas.
7. To assemble each burrito, spoon about / cup of the egg mixture onto a tortilla and top with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream, if desired. Fold to enclose and eat out of hand.
Tomato Salsa
Yield: 3 cups
You can throw together this easy salsa in minutes. If you prefer, you can first sauté the pepper and onion.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced, or 2 cups canned
* ½ cup chopped green or yellow bell pepper
* ½ cup chopped sweet onion
* ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 clove of garlic, chopped (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly combine all ingedients. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Grits
In the southern United States, hominy (bleached and skinned whole corn kernels, called "posole" in the southwestern states) is eaten daily in the form of grits, a coarsely ground cornmeal. (The term "grits" comes from the Old English word grytt, for bran.) Hominy grits are produced from dried yellow or white corn, which is steamed (rather than subjected to the old method of lye treatment) to loosen the hulls. To ensure a long shelf life, commercial grits also have the oily germ removed. The remaining endosperm is cracked between steel rollers and screened to leave behind the largest granules. These are regular hominy grits. To obtain quick grits, the corn is milled into smaller granules. The same process is used to produce cornmeal and corn flour. Medium-sized granules are packaged as cornmeal; the finest granules become corn flour. Grits are served at breakfast along with sausage, ham, and eggs, and they are often topped with butter or gravy.
Grits go back to 1607, when members of the London Company came ashore in Jamestown, Virginia. They were welcomed by the local Native American tribe with bowls of rokahame?n, a mush of hot maize. It tasted good to the hungry seafarers and was adopted by their community. They learned to grind it a little finer and called it hominy grits. Since that time, grits have become a mainstay of Southern cuisine, which features grits and gravy, grits and eggs, grits with meat, grits and cheese, grits and sausage, grits and grillades (sautéed or grilled meat with herbs), and other combinations.
Grits are available at most large supermarkets and specialty grocery stores throughout the United States. If you live near a working corn gristmill, you may be able to buy grits and cornmeal with the germ intact.
Basic Breakfast Grits
Yield: 4 servings
Grits are a fixture on breakfast menus south of the Mason-Dixon line. Unfortunately, many restaurants serve white grits that have had both the hulls and the germs removed, and the result is a bowl of flavorless mush. I generally don't use salt in my cooking, but it is an essential ingredient in basic breakfast grits.
INGREDIENTS
* 4½ cups water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant)
* savory or sweet flavorings (see box at right)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add the salt.
2. Gradually whisk in the grits.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and, stirring occasionally, cook the grits until they begin to boil and thicken, about 6 minutes.
4. Add savory or sweet flavorings and thin with a drop of water or milk if the mixture is too thick for you.
Grits and Cheese Pudding
Yield: 6–8 servings
I like to serve this dish with a chunky tomato and corn salsa — homemade or prepared, depending on time constraints.
INGREDIENTS
* 5 cups water
* 1 cup grits
* 1 cup grated Cheddar, Muenster or Monterary Jack cheese (a mix of leftover pieces works well)
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup low-fat milk
* 2 eggs
* 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or scallion greens
* ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 1/-quart casserole dish.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Slowly add the grits. Return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and butter.
4. Beat together the milk, eggs, chives, and pepper.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the grits; pour into the casserole.
6. Bake for 40–45 minutes.
Never thrust your own sickle into another's corn.
— Publius Syrus, Maxim 593 Corn Custard Pudding
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Corn"
by .
Copyright © 2002 Olwen Woodier.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
PrefaceThe History of Corn
Cooking with Corn
1 Breakfasts & Breads
2 Soups & Salads
3 Starters & Sides
4 Main Courses
5 Snacks & Sweets
Appendices
Index