Barbecued baby corn with sour cream, bacon and chives
Fresh corn at the peak of its season is a real gem, and in this recipe Joe Otway serves baby corn cobs whole, briefly blanched and then given a lick of smoke over fire. Dressed with sour cream and bacon – one of those duos that never goes out of fashion – plus a drizzle of burnt leek and green leek oil, this is a classic example of how a very good base ingredient needs little doing to it to make it really sing.
Joe says: “Corn had a major part to play in my time spent with Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns [a two-starred restaurant outside New York]. One of the first stories in his book The Third Plate refers to ‘Otto File’ or ‘8-row flint corn’. When I arrived there as a 26-year-old cook in the depths of winter, 8-row polenta was one of the early dishes I had to deal with on my section.
Corn converts sugars into starch each and every day after it has been harvested so the fresher the corn is used after harvest, the sweeter it tastes.
This recipe is based around late summer and a variety of corn called Tramunt – known for its extra sweetness and ability to slowly convert. It’s been a revelation for us to grow corn at Cinderwood, our farm in Cheshire, and is something I wish we had grown sooner. There is a window with corn where the plant grows to a size that still allows you to eat the entire cob whole and also some of the inner silks. This moment allows us to serve the baby corn whole in its jacket, cooked over coals to capture the feeling of a summer barbecue.”
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 1l water
- 30g of sea salt
- 4 baby corn, still in their husks
- 20g of bacon lardons
- 100g of sour cream
- finely chopped chives, to garnish
Leek oils
- 100g of leek, 50g green parts and 50g white parts
- 200g of vegetable oil
Method
To make the leek oils, roughly chop the leek greens and burn the white part thoroughly with a blowtorch or over the hob
- 100g of leek, 50g green parts and 50g white parts
Put the burnt leek in a Thermomix (or a blender if you don’t have one). Pour in half the oil, then blitz at 70°C for 7 minutes (if you’re using a regular blender, after blending for 7 minutes transfer to a pan and bring to 70°C)
- 100g of vegetable oil
Strain the oil through a chinois or fine sieve into a bowl set over ice. Keep in the fridge until needed
Make the green leek oil using the same method. You’ll only need 20ml of each oil for this recipe, but keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to a month
- 100g of vegetable oil
Put the water and salt into a large saucepan and bring to the boil
- 1l water
- 30g of sea salt
Strip any tougher outer layers of the corn’s husk away to reveal the greener, fresher leaves that tightly sit around the corn cobs within (reserve the husks you peel away). Make an incision down the length of each piece of corn, just deep enough to get your fingers inside. Carefully remove the corn cob and all the silk surrounding it, then clean the corn and leaves of any remaining silk. Reserve the green jackets you cut open too
- 4 baby corn, still in their husks
Put the corn cobs in the boiling water and blanch for 45 seconds (or a little longer if they’re on the larger side)
Drain and return each piece of corn to their green jackets, then wrap them tightly in the tougher husks using string so they’re completely covered. Set aside until ready to serve
Cook the bacon lardons in a frying pan until the fat renders out and they turn crisp and deep brown
- 20g of bacon lardons
Put the wrapped corn over charcoal or a live fire for 3 minutes, turning occasionally and allow the leafy jackets to catch and burn on the outside to create some smoke. The indirect heat will steam the corn within and reheat it
To serve, untie the tougher leaves around the corn and put them on a plate, still in their greener jackets (don’t worry if they’re a little singed)
Drizzle with the sour cream (use a squeeze bottle if you have one), then drizzle both the leek oils on top to create a black and green camouflage effect. Sprinkle over the crispy lardons and chives
- 100g of sour cream
- finely chopped chives, to garnish
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