Creamed corn, anyone?

[Carrot Top]

Just googled "pressure cooker cream corn" and came up with this: Canning Cream Corn is on the second page. The description of cutting the kernels off the cob by cutting directly through the center to let the milk out of them is there, as is the note on scraping the cob.

Looks like a good idea if there really is a lot of corn to be made.

[Qwerty]

At an old job of mine we would juice fresh corn, and use that as the cooking medium for corn cut off the cob. Of course, a good base of shallot and other aromatics help as well. Don't skimp on the butter, of course.

But essentially, the corn juice thickens with the cooking (thanks to the natural starch) and creates a creamy consistency with a deeper level of corn flavor.

[onrushpam]

Here's the way I learned from my grandma, with the corn from grandpa's "truck patch"...

Cut the corn off the cobs and then scrape with the back of the knife, as others have described.

Melt a knob of butter (or a little bacon grease) in a cast iron skillet.

Saute the corn in the butter for a bit (maybe 10 minutes?) Don't let it get any color, just start to soften.

Add a good amount of milk or half-and-half. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so. If it's still too liquid, take the lid off and let it cook down to the desired consistency. Salt and a good amount of fresh ground pepper at the end.

Sometimes I saute some minced Vidalia onion or a shallot before adding the corn.

Sometimes I add crumbled bacon and/or chopped tomatoes and/or chopped green onions at the end. But, most times, I just enjoy the plain creamy, corny goodness.

BTW, I like it best with old-fashioned yellow corn. The texture and flavor are better than the white or bi-color varieties.

If your corn isn't super fresh, you might want to add a little sugar with the milk.

[David Ross]

Here are two dishes that use my creamed corn recipe. While I love creamed corn on it's own, it's also a great recipe as a base for many other dishes.

Here is a Rack of Lamb with a Corn Pudding. I used the creamed corn recipe and added an egg and a bit of flour. Then I baked/poached the pudding in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Then a Creamed Corn and Oyster Chowder with Sauteed Dungeness Crab. I took the basic creamed corn recipe and added fish stock, clams, diced new potatoes and some Cajun seafood seasoning.

[onrushpam]

I bought six ears of yellow corn this morning at my favorite produce stand... they are located across the parking lot from the place where the big grocers come to buy produce from local farms.

I don't know the provenance of the corn I bought... probably someplace in N. GA or SC... But, the ears were HUGE! It was YELLOW corn.

I cut some of it off the cob for a creamed corn dish that includes okra and tomatoes. I nearly SWOONED at the first taste of i! Such corny flavor! Sweet, not starchy, but it tasted like CORN! So much of the white or bi-color corn we get is just sweet. It doesn't really taste like corn. When I scraped the cobs, the amount of "milk" produced was amazing!

I blanched the other four ears and will make up a little baggie for the freezer.

I wish this market was open on Sundays... I'd be back tommow to buy more for the freezer.