Maquechoux Smothered Corn Food

EASY MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• In a large skillet or dutch oven, melt the bacon grease or butter over medium heat. Add the oninon and peppers and cook until they are tender - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, sitrring frequently, for 1 minute.
• Add the corn, tomatoes, and heavy cream and stir to combine. Add the salt and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the corn is cooked through and most of the liquid had evaporated. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding Creole seasoning, if desired. Allow to rest about 5 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken before serving.

CAJUN CORN MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• 1. Cut the kernels off of the corn into a large bowl. Using the back of the knife, scrape the sweet corn milk from the cobs to extract about 3 tablespoons and add it to the bowl. Set aside.
• 2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Add the butter to the skillet and when melted, add the celery, bell peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the milk, scallion whites, garlic, tomatoes and corn. Cook until thickened, 10 minutes.
• 3. Serve garnished with the scallion greens and reserved bacon.

MAQUECHOUX ( SMOTHERED CORN)

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, cut kernels straight down from the cob (you should end up with about 4 cups of corn kernels).
• With the back of the knife, scrape down the cut rows of the corn cobs to extract as much of the "corn milk" as possible and add to the corn kernels.
• In a skillet, melt the butter and saute the corn kernels and vegetables and seasoning over medium heat for three to four minutes.
• Add all but two tablespoons of cream, stir, cover, and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Uncover for the last five minutes to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
• Just before serving, beat the remaining cream to a froth with the egg and add to the corn.

MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Working with 1 corn cob at a time, set the ear of corn upright in a medium bowl. Shave the corn from the cob by slicing down the sides using the tip of a sharp chef's knife, holding the knife almost vertical. (This gives you neat tablets of corn that land squarely in the bowl and keeps the kernels from scattering all over the counter.) Using the back of the knife, scrape each cob to release all the nibs and the "milk" of the kernels into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears of corn, then snap the cobs in half, and add them to the bowl.
• In a large, deep sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery, and season with 1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt. Stir constantly until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bell pepper, poblano and serrano, and stir constantly, adding another pinch of kosher salt, letting the butter melt and the peppers soften and become translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. You will smell the peppers' sweetness and their mild capsaicin releasing.
• Add the final 3 tablespoons butter and the corn mixture from the bowl, cobs included, and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir constantly to coat with the butter and combine thoroughly.
• When everything starts to hiss and sound hot, but isn't cooking so hard as to take color, add 1/2 cup water and a healthy few grinds of black pepper, and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam/shallow braise the mixture.
• Remove the lid, and stir well, noticing the corn releasing its liquid and the kernels softening, and the cobs turning somewhat translucent, if however vague. You will notice a general softening and melding together. Return the lid, and let cook a few more minutes, noticing the water evaporating and the remaining liquid reducing and gaining some "body" and gloss. Discard the corn cobs, but do suck them before tossing - those buttery juices make a nice cook's treat.
• Taste for salt, and serve. It should be sweet, spicy, a bit wet and surprisingly complex, given the few ingredients and their ordinariness. If you want a smoky taste, add a good pinch of smoked paprika.

VEGETARIAN MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Remove the husks from corn; scrub with a stiff brush to remove silks.
• Rinse.
• Use a sharp knife to remove corn from cobs, cutting two-thirds of the way to the cob.
• Scrape cobs with a dull edge of a knife.
• (You should have about 4 cups.) In a 3-quart saucepan, cook onion and green pepper in butter or margarine about 5 minutes or until tender.
• Stir in corn, tomato, salt, black pepper, and red pepper.
• Cover and cook over low heat about 20 minutes or until corn is tender.
• Season to taste.
• Enjoy!
• Makes 6 side-dish servings.

CORN MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Mix in green onion, parsley, and basil. Season to taste with coarse salt, pepper, and more hot pepper sauce, if desired.

SMOTHERED FRESH CORN

Steps:

• Saute in oil, onions until brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add 1/4 c water.
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce, simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add 1/2 c water.
• Cook 10 minutes more.
• Add corn, water, sugar and salt.
• Cook for about 40 more minutes.
• Add pepper to taste.