It’s corn fiesta This monsoon!

Eating corn during monsoon is a ritual we all indulge in. Corn is a food grain which is very rich in minerals, fibres and vitamins. It is a great source of energy and contains dietary fibres and carbohydrates. Apart, from this, it has many health benefits. Corn is the healthiest snack that one can have in monsoon. It is one of the most adaptable grains and mutable to its geographical location. We gauge a corn’s freshness by its colour and the firmness of the kernels, tightly packed. The versatility of corn means it can be eaten raw, on or off the cob or cooked; as a staple or dessert. These are some of my favorites that I generally tweak with flavors according to what I would like to eat at that time. In addition to that, I encourage you to be as creative as you want while trying these dishes in your kitchen.

CORN & POTATO

Ingredients
Potato    500 gm
Shallots    25 gm
Whole corn
(husked removed)    2 no
Chayote    300 gm
Leeks    50 gm
Garlic    25 gm
Potato skins    50 gm
Thyme    1 sprig
Pickled yellow
mustard    10 gm
Sea Salt    To taste
Butter    100 gm

method
Roast corn in the oven or on the gas stove till its slightly charred. Blend roughly and extract corn juice .

Wash potatoes well. Wrap them individually in foil wit some butter and sea salt. Roast it at 200 C for about 1 hour depending on the size

Remove from oven and peel while its still hot. Pass the peeled hot potato through a strainer and reserve the mash.

Make a stock with the potato peels, roasted garlic ,shallots, leeks, one chayote, corn residue and some thyme. Strain and reserve.

Heat up and loosen the mash with the potato stock ,corn juice and finish with cold butter.

Garnish with some sauteed chayote and pickled mustard.(You could add leafy greens as per your choice)

CORN BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

method
Mix the corn juice, whey and some salt and leave it at room temperature for about 1-2 days. Add chopped charred Thai bird (if you like it smoky), ginger julienne, roasted garlic, coriander stem,soy, mirin, anise and peppercorn. Ensure you have put enough salt in the brine.

Wash clean the whole chicken thoroughly. Brine the chicken with the above for about a day or two in the fridge. Make sure the chicken is completely immersed in the brine .After two days , remove the chicken and pat dry well.For roasting, pre heat the oven to 90 C. Remove the wishbone and any trussing from the pre-brined chicken. Open the legs of the chicken to allow air to circulate.Push the orange and herbs into the cavity of the chicken. Rub  butter over the chicken skin and season well.

Place chicken into a heavy based roasting tray along with some mirepoix at the base. Place into the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken breast reaches 60C, about 3-4 hours. Baste chicken with pan juices every hour.

Increase oven to 210 C.Place back into the oven until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.

Reduce the pan residue liquid and some brine to be served as a gravy . Add in cold butter in the end. Heat oven to Heat the braising liquid with soy sauce, mirin until it has thickened to a pouring sauce consistency.

Finish with cold butter. Check seasoning. Serve with roast tubers and citrus

Ingredients
Whole chicken
with skin    1 no
Whey    250 ml
Corn juice    500 ml
Coriander stem    50 gm
Thai bird chili
(semi charred)    30 gm
Roasted Garlic    25 gm
Ginger    10 gm
Star anise    2 no
Peppercorn    3 gm
Soy sauce    30 ml
Mirin    20 ml
Salt To taste
Whole Orange
(halves)    1 no
Soft butter    100 gm

CORN TOAST

Method

To make toast batter: Blend 50 gm of corn to a smooth paste. Whisk in the eggs, milk, paprika, cumin powder and salt.

Sandwich the cheddar slices with chopped green chili,the remaining corn, ham cubes and coriander. Add more vegetables if you desire.

Sandwich two slices of bread with the stuffed cheddar slices and press gently to ensure its stuffed well.

Dip the bread in the toast batter and dredge it in crushed corn flakes.

Heat butter in a non stick pan. Toast the bread on both sides until the cornflakes gets crispy and cheese has melted well.

Ingredients
Sandwich bread    8 no
Cheddar slices    16 slices
Green chili    15 gm
Ham (cubed)    35 gm
Coriander    20 gm
Corn    100 gm
Eggs    3 no
Milk    200 ml
Paprika    5 gm
Cumin powder    5 gm
Corn flakes    100 gm
Butter    50 gm

CORN CHOCOLATE COOKIE SANDWICH

method
Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

Add in milk and mix.

Add flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 4-6 hours.

Roll into balls.

Set on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes

Puree corn kernels and apricot to a fine paste and strain if required.

Whip the cream to soft peeks. Add the puree, vanilla seeds and wild honey if required.

Transfer the whip to a piping bag. Top a cookie with the cream and top it with another cookie.

Ingredients
Butter    225 gm
Sugar    300 gm
Eggs    2 no
Flour    300 g
Dutch Cocoa powder    75 g
Corn meal    50 g
Baking soda    1/4 tsp
Salt    1 pinch
Chocolate chip    265 gm
Milk    40 ml
Corn kernels    120 gm
Apricot    50 gm
Elle & Vire cream    200 ml
Wild honey/ Sugar     30 gm (preferred sweetness)
Vanilla    1/2 pod