I am into corn in a big way. I eat little Del Monte cans of whole kernel sweet corn straight from the tin with a spoon. If I weren’t so keenly aware that it’d be very weird, I would even offer it to guests as a dessert. (“Annnnd to cleanse your palate, a can of corn with a spoon in it! Wait, where are you going?”)
Luckily, there are more socially acceptable ways of feeding your guests (and yourself) corn instead of just eating it from a can like some kind of animal that has access to a can opener.
What better time to partake in corn than in the summer, when sweet corn is at its golden peak and ahem, really, really cheap?
And look, this is more of a pan-fried corn since there’s no actual “roasting” involved, but it tastes just like delicious street cart corn so I am sticking with the name. And if you don’t know what “street cart corn” is, I am sorry for you because there is a giant gaping hole in your food life and you don’t even realize it.
Go out and get some fresh corn for this because that will allow it to dry out a bit in the cooking process to give everything a good bite, and it’ll take on a lovely char for an almost caramel-y flavor. Plus, you get to pretend you’re on Iron Chef while dramatically chopping the kernels off the cob. I mean, you do that too, right?
…Right?
Pan-roasted Corn with Shiitake Mushrooms and Green Onions
Mostly unchanged from Food52
Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
- 3 ears of fresh sweet corn
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 stems of green onions, sliced
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Paprika or Aleppo pepper
…and any other herbs and goodies you’ve got around. I’ve made this with basil, chicken, and other leftover odds and ends and it has been delicious.
Husk the corn and remove the silk. Remove the kernels from the cob. I do this by putting the flat end on a large cutting board (so that the corn is standing upright) and running a chef knife down the cob, rotating until all the kernels are removed.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. When it begins shimmering, add in the corn and stir to coat all the kernels in oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn begins to slightly brown and lose some of its moisture.
Add in the mushrooms, green onions, anything else you like, and seasoning, and give everything a good stir. If things are looking a little dry, drizzle on just a little bit more olive oil. Cook for about 10 more minutes to caramelize the corn even more.
Serve warm and with a light dusting of more paprika or Aleppo pepper on top.
