This is the second in a two-part column on sweetcorn. Last week, I kept the kernels whole; this week, I’m blitzing them. Today’s dishes are less about individual bursts of sweetness and more about the creamy, comforting smoothness.
Corn soufflé bake
Serves eight.
1 red pepper, core and seeds removed, cut into 2cm-wide strips
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 2cm-wide wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
5g thyme sprigs, plus 1½ tbsp leaves
Salt and black pepper
300g crust-free ciabatta, torn roughly into 3cm pieces
200ml full-fat milk
200ml double cream
7 large eggs, 3 of them separated
1½ tsp ground cumin
1¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
375g freshly shaved corn kernels (from 3-4 cobs; or 375g frozen corn, blanched)
2 large spring onions, finely chopped
2 jalapeño chillies, trimmed, deseeded and finely chopped
160g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
150g feta, broken into 1½cm chunks
1 tsp nigella seeds
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put the pepper and onion in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil, the thyme sprigs and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Mix, then spread on a medium oven tray lined with baking paper and roast for 15 minutes, until soft.
Put the bread, milk and cream in a food processor with the whole eggs, egg yolks, cumin, a teaspoon of paprika, two-thirds of the corn, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Blitz for a minute, so it comes together in a thick batter, then pour into a bowl. Mix in the spring onions, jalapeños, thyme leaves, 100g cheddar, the feta and remaining corn, and set aside.
Brush a 18cm x 28cm gratin dish with the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Whisk the egg whites in a medium metal bowl until stiff, then fold into the corn mix. Remove the hot dish from the oven and pour in the soufflé mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, until the soufflé has risen and is golden-brown. Spoon the roast veg on top, sprinkle over the paprika, nigella seeds and remaining cheddar, and bake for 15 minutes more, until a knife comes out clean. Serve at once.
Slow-cooked chicken with crisp corn crust
The ancho chilli gives this a lovely, smoky depth, but if you can’t get one, just up the amount of smoked paprika to a whole teaspoon. Serve with a green salad. Serves six.
2 red peppers, core and seeds removed, thinly sliced
75ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1 large ancho chilli, torn into quarters
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
850g skinless and boneless chicken thighs (about 16 small thighs)
2 tbsp tomato paste
6 large tomatoes, peeled and quartered
500ml chicken stock
20g coriander, roughly chopped
For the sweetcorn batter
70g unsalted butter, melted
500g fresh corn kernels (shaved from four cobs; or defrosted frozen corn)
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
75ml full-fat milk
4 eggs, separated
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Mix the peppers in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and lots of pepper. Spread out on a medium baking tray and roast for 20 minutes, until soft and brown.
Turn down the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the coriander, cumin, allspice, cinnamon and peppercorns in a small pan and toast until aromatic. Tip into the small bowl of a food processor, add the ancho, turmeric, paprika, garlic, ginger, two tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of water, and blitz to a rough paste.
In a large saute pan for which you have a lid, heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil on a medium-high heat, then fry the onions for 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until caramelised and soft. Turn the heat to medium, add the spice paste and chicken, and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, roast peppers and stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is very thick and the chicken is falling apart. Stir through the coriander, then pour into a 20cm x 30cm ceramic baking dish.
For the batter, pour the butter into a blender and add the corn, chilli, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, the milk and the egg yolks. Blitz for a few seconds, to make a rough paste, then spoon into a bowl. Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk to firm peaks. Fold gently into the runny corn mixture, until just combined, then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for 35 minutes, until golden-brown. (Check after 25 minutes, to make sure it’s not taking on too much colour; if it is, cover with tin foil for the final 10 minutes.) Remove from the oven, leave to rest for five minutes, then serve.
Sweetcorn polenta with sausage ragout
If you can, use fresh sweetcorn for this but, failing that, 450g frozen corn will have to do. Italian sausages are coarse in texture, and are often seasoned with fennel or aniseed. Get yours from a deli, if possible; Italian-style sausages are also sold in most big supermarkets these days, but they’re not quite the same in terms of quality. Otherwise, use a plain coarse sausage and add a teaspoon and a half of fennel seeds to the pan. Serves four.
3-4 corn cobs (700g), husks removed
500ml chicken stock
20g unsalted butter
Salt
100g instant polenta
1 tbsp olive oil
200g black pudding, cut into 8 1cm-thick rounds (optional)
6 Italian sausages, skin removed and discarded, meat broken into 2cm pieces
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp rose harissa (or another savoury chilli paste)
6 large plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled and flesh roughly chopped
50g coriander sprigs, tied with string, plus 5g coriander leaves, to serve
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Cook the sweetcorn cobs for five minutes, until just cooked (if using frozen corn, do not cook it) and drain. When cool enough to handle, hold each cob vertically on a board and use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels. You should end up with about 450g.
Put a medium saucepan on a high heat with the stock, 100ml water, butter and half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to medium, add the polenta and corn, and stir constantly for three minutes, until the mix is the consistency of thick porridge. Blitz the mixture into a smooth porridge (I prefer to use a stick blender rather than a food processor for this), then set aside. If need be, reheat just before serving.
On a medium-high flame, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid. Fry the black pudding for four minutes, turning once halfway through, until just cooked through, then lift from the pan. Add the sausage meat and onion and fry for eight minutes, stirring a few times, until the meat is golden-brown and the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic and spices, and cook for two more minutes before adding the tomato paste, harissa, tomatoes, 300ml water, the coriander bundle and a third of a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes longer, until the sauce is nicely thick and rich, then remove from the heat and discard the coriander.
When you are ready to serve, spoon the warm sweetcorn polenta into individual bowls. Top with the ragout, followed by two slices of black pudding per serving (heat these through in the pan, if you like). Serve at once, with a final sprinkle of coriander.
