Corn on the cob « Putney Farm

If you live in the States, pretty much wherever you are, there should be some rockin’ corn on the cob available (if not, bummer, sorry dude). And while there is nothing wrong with the traditional version of corn, butter, salt and pepper, it is always good to experiment. And sometimes those experiments pay off. This is one of those times. (There are also those “other” times, but we choose not to blog about those….)

Beyond the normal corn on the cob recipes, we often like what is called “Mexican Corn” where you add some mayo, spices, and/or cheese to your corn on the cob. You might even grill the corn for more smoky flavor. All good, but a bit ~~of a pain in the a$$~~ “complicated”. On the other hand, we figured that simplicity may be the answer. Why not take the basic ingredients and substitute a few favorites? And when we think of favorites, we think bacon fat…bacon is the 8th wonder of the world, after all. Out goes the butter, in goes the bacon fat.

Yes, it may seem wrong to use bacon fat directly on fresh corn on the cob, but we use it all the time in cut corn preparations, so why not? And since we were adding some nice smoky flavor, we decided to double-down and substitute smoked paprika for black pepper. We kept the salt. Salt, there is no substitute.

How did it turn out? Well, “you had us a bacon fat”. We loved it, the boys loved it and there was no extra effort. Boil water, cook corn, apply bacon fat, add seasoning, consume, repeat. And the taste was as expected, sweet and salty with an extra layer of deep smoky flavor. And that smoky flavor comes without using a grill for cooking the corn. Nice.

So, will we always do “bacon fat corn on the cob”? No, we still like butter as well. But this is already a standard here at the farm, we suggest you give it a try. Besides, it is a good excuse to cook up some bacon…

Bacon Fat Corn-On-The Cob:

Notes: No notes. Go make some bacon and save that fat! And if you want to chop that bacon real fine and roll the corn in it, that won’t suck either.

Ingredients:

6 ears fresh corn on the cob, shucked
3 tablespoons bacon fat
Kosher salt
Smoked paprika

Assemble:

Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. When boiling, add the corn and cook for 3 minutes. Remove corn from the water and set on a large plate or baking sheet.
While the corn is still very warm, drizzle each ear of corn with about 1/2 tablespoon of the bacon fat (rub it in as needed). Season lightly with salt and smoked paprika. Leave out extra salt and paprika to allow your guest to adjust seasoning to taste. Serve.

Corn on the cob. So easy we almost feel guilty posting it.

Summer corn salad.

When you see this, stop and buy some corn.

On the east coast of the US no other food says “summer” quite like fresh corn on the cob. Farm stands selling corn picked that morning are literally everywhere. And it is quite common (at least with our family and friends) to hear people arguing over what stand has the “best” corn. These arguments sound like wine aficionados comparing appellations and vintages- slightly ridiculous, but great, harmless fun. And while all the fresh corn here is good, there are differences between farms. We are lucky to have so many choices.

The other argument you might hear is where the best corn comes from. Not surprisingly we are fans of eastern Long Island corn. The weather and soil are perfect, the demand is high and the farmers compete to raise the best corn. A good combination. Now, we also enjoy corn from New Jersey and other mid-Atlantic states, but we know of no other area where the farms are just a few minutes away from most of the people. You can literally bring your water to a boil, drive, bike or walk to the farm stand in less than five minutes and then bring the corn back and put it in the pot. And then you are just three minutes from heaven. And we do mean 3 minutes…

Why 3 minutes? Well, if you have fresh corn, the best way to enjoy it is to eat it off the cob with minimal cooking. Simply boil the water, drop the corn in the water for three minutes. Once cooked, remove the corn from the water, slather with butter, liberally apply salt and pepper and serve. Perfection. The corn will be cooked but still very crisp and sweet. If you must cook the corn longer we suggest that 3 minutes=”rare”, 3.5 minutes= “medium rare”, 4 minutes= “Medium”, etc. But we suggest that anything past medium will rob the corn of its crisp texture. And the corn’s flavor and texture are some of the best nature has to offer.