We welcome back Food Friday hall of famer, the one and only Deanna Fox. Our topic is corn! Call in and share your favorite recipes and tips. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
Corn Fritters
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk (more if needed, a tablespoon at a time)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 4 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
METHOD
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper with a whisk. Add the eggs and milk and whisk to combine. (Add more milk if the batter seems too thick.) Stir in the thyme leaves and corn.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, warm 1 inch of vegetable oil of medium-high heat. Once hot (when a drop of water splatters into the oil), drop rounded spoonfuls of the batter into the oil. Cook on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding. Allow to cool slightly, then serve immediately with remoulade. (Recipe follows.)
Easy Remoulade
Makes about 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 3 teaspoons sweet relish
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
METHOD
Whisk together all ingredients and season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Serve immediately or allow to sit in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Street Corn-Style Salad
Makes 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups sweet corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed (more or less to taste)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup scallion, whites and greens sliced thin
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced (optional)
METHOD
In a large heavy skillet (like cast iron), blister the corn kernels by placing them in the dry skillet and cooking over medium-high heat until the corn starts to pop and blacken, about 7 minutes. Add the olive oil, red onion, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes, until the onion and peppers soften. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and scallions until the garlic is just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, kosher salt, lime juice and zest, paprika, cayenne pepper, cilantro and cheese in a large bowl. Add in the corn mixture and stir well. Fold in the avocado, if using. Serve warm or place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, covered. (If using avocado, do not add until just before serving so it does not oxidize and turn brown.)
Sweet Corn and Blueberry Cake
Makes 1 cake, serves 6 generously
Note: This cake is light like a sponge cake, with the little surprise of juicy corn kernels and blueberries studded throughout. The top of the cake becomes crunchy, almost like a strudel or a classic blueberry buckle, and the interior is a swirling tie-dye of yellow and blue thanks to the juice of the berries. Instead of blueberries, try marbling dollops of raspberry or blackberry jam into the batter once it is in the pan. Serve with a generous portion of rich vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels
- 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9x9-inch baking dish and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, baking powder, sugar and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla extract, egg and milk, then pour it all into the dry ingredient bowl and stir until just combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, corn and blueberries and toss together until flour coats the corn and berries. Fold the berries and corn into the batter, then pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake springs back with gentle pressure from your finger and has pulled away from the sides of the pan slightly. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Deanna Fox is a food and agriculture journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, The Kitchn, Eater, the Times Union and more.
Deanna owned and operated Albany Cooking School, teaching thousands of people how to cook and bake over the course of a decade. She also founded Local Flavor, a B2B e-commerce platform that connects farmers with restaurants, food service providers and food producers.
