Sautéed Jalapeño Corn
For Bryant, shucking and eating freshly picked ears of corn reminds him how for generations his family was intimately connected with their food sources—they ate what they grew. When you eat juicy corn on the cob, served straight from the pot and slathered with butter, it’s easy to imagine such a connection. Freshness really matters with corn—as soon as it is picked, the sugars in the corn start converting to starch. Choose ears that feel plump and fat with tightly closed, bright green husks and golden brown silks. Look for stems that are moist and pale green, and check for tight, small, plump kernels. Kernels cut from the cob offer other possibilities: sautéed, with sweet peppers, chiles, tomatoes, squash, or beans; or used in cornbread and griddle cakes, and in numerous soups and salsas. To prepare kernels for cooking, pull off the husks and cornsilk from the ears of corn. Rub the ears with a clean dish towel to remove any clinging cornsilk, and snap off the stems. Cut the kernels from the cobs: Hold an ear by the tip, stand it up vertically with the stem end down, and use a sharp knife to cut down the length of the cob, cutting just deep enough to slice off the kernels. This is messy; to contain the kernels, it helps to work in a large bowl, or on a small cutting board set inside a roasting pan.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toast the cumin seeds in a hot dry pan for a minute or so to bring out the fragrant oils, let cool a bit, then pulverize in a mortar along with a pinch of coarse salt.
Step 2
Cover the bottom of a sauté pan with a coating of olive oil, put over medium heat, and add the garlic. (A tip to avoid burning garlic: Instead of adding chopped garlic to oil that may be too hot and will scorch it immediately, heat the garlic with the oil from the start, and you will see and hear it cooking gently and can prevent it from overheating.) When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the cumin and jalapeño and cook gently for another minute or so. Add the corn. Stir it while it cooks and, if needed, add a splash of water. The corn cooks quickly and will be done in 2 to 3 minutes. Finish with a few grinds of pepper and serve.
