email this pageCorn is a source of bragging rights for Midwesterners. It’s unbelievable to me, but some people in Wisconsin or Michigan think their state’s corn is tops. Don’t listen to them. Iowa grows the best corn, and everyone here knows it, including my 11-year-old nephew.
What Iowans don’t always agree on, however, is which county grows the best corn. Or, within a county, which makeshift farm stand in which little gas-station parking lot sells the best corn. (Here in Des Moines, a friend swears by the corn sold from a blue pickup truck parked outside of the bail bonds office).
Iowans also don’t always agree on how to eat it. There are various camps. Me, I tackle an ear of corn typewriter style, click-clacking across the kernels in rows left to right. My husband does that weird circular thing, rotating the ear as he tackles it. It’s a wonder we ever got married. My friend’s kids eat in a sort of “patchwork” quilt motif.
And then, there’s how best to cook it. The official word—from the Iowa State University Extension website—is to submerge the cobs in a large pot of boiling water. “Throw in the shucked corn, and wait for the water to come back to a boil. And the corn is done!” they say.
My method is a little different. I put the corn in a kettle and cover it with water. When the water reaches a full boil, I take the kettle off the heat, cover it, and let it sit 10 minutes. Yielding nubbly crisp-tender corn, this method is a little trick I learned from a friend from—of all places—New York City. I’ve heard that some people out that way think that the best corn comes from New Jersey. Needless to say, I don’t believe them.
Shrimp and Corn Pudding
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley,
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup half-and-half
½ teaspoon salt
Whole white pepper in a peppermill
Ground cayenne pepper
Whole nutmeg in a grater
1 pound small to medium shrimp, peeled, or large shrimp cut in half
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and turn off heat.
4. Scrape mixture into a large bowl; add corn, eggs and half-and-half. Season with salt, white and cayenne peppers, and a generous grating of nutmeg; mix well. In a separate bowl, toss shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Fold shrimp into corn batter.
5. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish and pour in batter. Bake about 1 hour, until set and lightly browned. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, Relish Festivals and Fun, "Aw Shucks," August 22007.
Related Stories
If you enjoyed reading this story, Aw Shucks, then you might enjoy these other stories.Share This Story With Others:
There are no current discussions for this article. Why not be the first?
