Of Corn and Cows

I love nibbling on the cob after slicing away the kernels. Fresh corn has the most amazing flavor, and it has a milky essence. Picture me standing over the trash bin nibbling the cob like a squirrel. Raw corn -- can't you just taste the vitamins!

Most people wouldn't correlate cows and corn, but cows graze on corn; therefore, eating corn with steak is kind of a double-whammy.

I remember watching an episode of Jacques Pépin's Fast Food My Way a long time ago. He made, among other things, fresh corn polenta. This might have been a year ago, which means two things: it took me a year to make it; at least I remembered it.

(Recipe at end of post.)

Perusing teh interwebz via Google led me to a recipe that was pretty basic and quick. (On account of not having Jacques Pépin's book, I couldn't use his exact recipe.) My deviation from the recipe was to add chicken broth for added moisture to aid in puréeing. I also added a bit more chicken broth after the mixture finished puréeing to achieve the consistency I desired. Then, as per the directions, I seasoned with kosher salt (1 teaspoon), but added only 3 tablespoons of butter instead of six.

This is the mixture after cooking. You can't tell much by the picture, but it thickened up a bit. If I wanted it thicker, I could have either reduced the added chicken broth or cooked it longer.

Fresh corn polenta was served topped with heated black beans and sprinkled with cilantro alongside green beans and a perfectly cooked steak (rawr!). I mean, the steak was excellent; so juicy, tender, and bloody, well-seasoned and even better with chopped cilantro on top. (On that note, the Saturday after 4 July my dad grilled hamburgers, though I opted for a hot dog. I walked past the platter of grilled burgers and I could smell the essence of meat, in all it's raw splendor. Since Dad has a tendency to fully cook meat I went on my way and ate the hot dog. "Christina, look: [insert picture of rareish hamburger]." Said/showed my brother. I think my eyes bulged out and I exclaimed, "I KNEW I smelled rare! (As if rare is a smell...) I walked past the platter and I could smell that meat smell when it's not overcooked!" That caused my mom to make some comment about me and cannibalism. Heh.)

The polenta had such a fresh taste, very vibrant, and the texture of the finished polenta was the perfect consistency. While it had its own discernible flavor, it still paired nicely with the black beans and cilantro. I will definitely be making this often.

Finishing up the exquisite meal was spice muffin shortcake with a dollop of applesauce, raspberries, and whipped cream.

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Fresh Corn Polenta
From Cuesa

Ingredients:

• 6 ears sweet white corn, all leaves and silk removed


• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter


• Kosher or sea salt


• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Grate the corn into a bowl using a box grater (I puréed the mixture in a blender with chicken broth). In a small saucepan, combine the grated corn pulp with 6 tablespoons of the butter and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.