Local corn on the cob is still available and oh so delicious. There are two types of cobs available – the all yellow heritage kernels or the white and yellow mix called peaches and cream. I find the solid yellow corn has more flavour than the very sweet peaches and cream. Last year we could not find the solid yellow cobs but this year they are more readily available. Cutting the kernels off the cob is a simple job using a sharp knife but an important step is removing the juicy, flavourful pulp left in the cob after the kernels are gone. To do this use the back side of the knife to press out out the pulp.
Corn casserole with fresh basil
Serves 4-5
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) soft or melted butter
- 2 – 3 cobs of fresh corn or 2 cups (500 ml) fresh corn kernels with pulp
- ¼ cup (50 ml) finely chopped onion or 2 – 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp (25 ml) all-purpose unbleached flour or cornstarch
- 2 tsp (10 ml) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
- ½ of 1 canned jalapeno pepper, seeds remove, finely chop
- 2 large eggs (roam-free)
- 2 cups (500 ml) milk or 18% cream
- 2 – 3 tbsp (25 – 45 ml) grated Parmesan or Palermo cheese
- 2 – 3 tbsp (25 – 40 ml) coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter (1½ litre) shallow or deep casserole.
2. Husk and remove silk strands from corncobs. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from the cobs and place kernels in a bowl. To remove the pulp, hold the cob upright on a cutting board and use the back edge of a chef’s knife to press down on the cob from the top to the bottom to push out the pulp left on the cobs after removing the kernels. Add pulp to the kernels in the bowl.
3. Stir in flour or cornstarch, sugar, salt and jalapeno pepper. Whisk the eggs to combine and add to the kernels along with the milk or cream and stir well to combine.
4. Pour mixture into prepared casserole. Sprinkle on the cheese. Place casserole into oven and bake until slightly puffed for 45 minutes for a shallow casserole or l hour if using deep casserole.
5. To serve, sprinkle basil leaves over the casserole.
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