There's nothing to rival a freshly picked ear of corn. Everything about it is perfect, from its shape (perfect for holding), the arrangement of the kernels (there will always be an even number of rows) and the taste, especially when you put a few of them to boil. Like I always say, 'Yuh is a True Trini if you love a corn soup', which is a classic street food that's perfect for a liming session. In addition, if you've been around the Queen's Park Savannah, you're bound to see some coal pots doing double duty as vendors sell the vegetable both boiled and roasted.
Now, it's actually hard to say exactly where corn originated. Some say Christopher Columbus brought it with him to the 'new world'. Others claim it's been around since the ancient Egyptians. Others yet again, say it is an American Indian staple and that it made its appearance for the first Thanksgiving celebration. (I'm still thoroughly "cornfused".) It is said, however, that corn is produced on every continent of the world with the exception of Antarctica. Did you know there was actually a "Corn Belt" located in the USA? It includes the states of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky.
Also, corn is also a major component in many food items. I'm sure you've probably cooked with corn oil and enjoyed many cereals or peanut butter, snack foods, soft drinks, right? There's some corn in there somewhere... even dog foods have it as an ingredient. Here at home though, we treat corn as simply as it grows, and we love to use it in dishes that are sure to magnify its presence in a dish. We can also enjoy canned corn, from the ripe kernels, to creamed corn and even the baby ears of corn that taste so wonderful in our Chinese dishes and stews. So, this week, Eye Food gets 'corny' with a couple of recipes that I'm sure you're going to be happy to try out; easy boiled corn and a baked corn pie, courtesy Felix Padilla who has a wicked food blog called Simply Trini Cooking. Bon Appétit!
Corn Pie
(Recipe by Felix Padilla of Simply Trini Cooking)
Ingredients
1 (15.4oz) can whole corn
Water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 egg, room temperature
8 tablespoons fine cornmeal
1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter
3/4 cup diced onions
3/4 cup chopped bell peppers (mixture of green and red)
Minced hot pepper to taste
1 cup evaporated whole milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided in half
Method
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Drain and reserve the liquid from the corn. Pour the reserved liquid into a 1-cup measuring cup, if the liquid does not fill the cup; add lukewarm water to bring it up to 1 full cup of liquid.
• Pour the 1 cup of liquid and egg into a large bowl. Add the salt and white pepper and beat to mix well.
• Add the cornmeal to the egg mixture. Stir to form a smooth paste and set aside.
• Add butter to a medium saucepan and place on medium heat and let melt. As soon as the butter melts, add the onions, bell peppers and hot peppers and sauté until the onions are translucent.
• Pour in the milk, stir and bring the mixture to a boil. When the mixture comes to a boil, immediately stir in the cornmeal and reduce the heat to low. Let cook on low heat for 4 minutes, stirring intermittently.
• Add the whole corn and stir to mix. Let the mixture continue to cook on low heat until it comes away easily from the sides of the pot - about 5 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish. Smooth the surface and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Let rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Easy Boiled Corn
Ingredients
6 to 8 ears of fresh corn, husked and silk removed (reserve a few husks to serve it on)
A small bunch of chadon beni, chopped
Two or three stalks of chive, chopped
Two good pinches of salt
1 red pimento pepper
A sliver of hot pepper
Method
• Grab a large pot with a tight fitting lid and place the ears of corn into it.
• Cover the corn with tap water (average about 8 cups).
• Put in the chadon beni, chive, salt, pimento pepper and piece of hot pepper.
• Close the lid and put to boil. After five minutes bring it to a simmer and let it bubble for half an hour to 45 minutes.
To see if it's done, just pick off a kernel and taste it – it should be nice and soft. Serve an ear of corn on a corn husk and enjoy!