Tarragon Creamed Corn
This dish comes from Hog & Hominy, says Chef Michael Hudman, and it is one of our most simple, yet most popular sides. Customers have been disappointed when the dish isn’t on the menu, but we explain to them it’s only good if you’re using fresh corn, which only comes in the summer. We “milk” the corncob to extract as much flavor as possible, then make a broth from the liquid with a Parmesan cheese rind and fresh tarragon. But the real secret to the intense corn flavor of this dish is to take about one-fourth of the cooked corn, puree it and then fold it back into the rest of the corn. Save the rinds whenever you use Parmigiano-Reggiano; they will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. Add a piece of cheese rind to soups, stews and other brothy dishes to add deep, savory flavor.
Ingredients:
For the corn cream:
- 3 ears of corn
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh tarragon
- 6-oz. (185-g) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind
- 3 turns cracked pepper
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) heavy cream
-
- 1 lb. (500 g) corn kernels (cut from about 8 ears)
- 1 bunch fresh tarragon, tied together with kitchen twine, plus
whole leaves for garnish (optional) - 6-oz. (185-g) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind
- About 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) heavy cream
- 6 oz. (185 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
To make the corn cream, cut the kernels from the cobs. Run the back of a knife blade along the length of each cob to force out any juice and the germ of each kernel into a bowl. Put the corn kernels, corn juice, thyme, tarragon, cheese rind and pepper in a saucepan and pour in the cream. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. Discard the solids in the sieve.
Put the corn kernels in a large saucepan and pour in the corn cream. Add the bundle of tarragon and the second piece of rind. The liquid should just cover the corn; add the heavy cream as needed to cover. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the corn is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the tarragon bundle and cheese rind.
Pour one-fourth of the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended mixture back into the pan with the corn. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately garnished with tarragon leaves. Serves 4.
Adapted from Collards & Carbonara, by Andrew Ticer & Michael Hudman (Olive Press, 2013).
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