CORN ON THE COB

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 145, 2 April 1942, Page 22

CORN ON THE COB

WEET CORN is. steadily gaining in popularity, and good crops are being gathered this year. It is a good nourishing food, and satisfying, too; so with a view to.encouraging even more people to eat it, here are some suggestions Sweet Corn on the Cob Remove sheath and drop the cobs into boiling, slightly salted, and sweetened water. Boil from 12 to 15 minutes. If not cooked in less than 20 minutes, it is too old for eating on the cob, although the grains may still be cut off, cooked longer in milk in a covered casserole, and when tender, thickened with cornflour and seasoned with pepper and salt, and plenty of chopped parsley. Served whole on the cob, pour hot melted butter over, and hold in the fingers, or with "corn forks." Preserved Sweet Corn You may preserve sweet corn either in whole cobs, or with the corn cut off. Whole cobs are easy, and look nice standing in jars! But you can get more into the jars if the grains are cut off. It is just a question of whether you are going to serve the preserved corn, in winter, on the cob, with melted butter, or in separate grains in white sauce, or fritters, or in a savoury dish. The process, in either case, is similar, and is practically the same as for Green Peas, for they must be sterilised for three hours altogether, in two doings; that is, two hours on one day, and one hour

the next. In fact, an even more reliable method is to do three days’ separate sterilising of one hour each; as the intervals between the boilings give the bacteria a chance to develop or germinate, and be killed in the final cooking. Cook the cobs in boiling, slightly salted and sweetened water for ten minutes. Put either the whole corn cobs, or the grains, into clean preserving jars, and cover with water which has been boiled. A little sugar and salt may also be put in this water. Adjust the rubbers and lids lightly, and sterilise at boiling point for two hours. That is, the water in the water bath must be boiling steadily for two hours. Tighten the lids, and leave in the bath for 24 hours. Then loosen the lids, and bring the water bath to the boil, and keep it boiling for another hour at least. Tighten lids finally. Stand upside down for some hours, to test the. seal Dried Green Corn Cook the young cobs in boiling, slightly salted and sweetened water for 10 minutes, until the "milk" is set. Then cut from the cobs, and spread out in shallow pans. Dry in the sun, or in a very slow oven. When perfectly dry, store in paper bags. Before. using, soak the -corn overnight in water or milk, Grilled Corn on the Cob To about 2 quarts of boiling water add half a teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Drop the corn into the water, cover with the lid, and boil 10 minutes. While the corn is boiling, have the griller heating. Arrange the corn on

the griller, and place as near under the heat as possible. Have a dish of melted butter standing beside the griller, and from time to time brush over the cobs generously with it. As they brown, turn with a fork, and brush with more butter. When. they are golden brown all over, lift on to a very hot plate, sprinkle with salt and pepper if liked, and serve immediately. Hot Corn Rolls These are very nice for a_ bridge supper, Put into a dish a cupful of cooked and drained corn, or tinned corn, if you like. Add pepper and salt to taste, and perhaps a little curry powder if you like it. Cut thin slices of nice fresh white bread, and butter them generously. Shape the corn into finger lengths as thick as large pieces of asparagus, roll up in the bread as if making asparagus rolls, and put them in a hot oven. Heat through for about 10 minutes. Sweet Corn Savoury A large cup of cooked sweet corn, % lb. cheese, a small cup of milk, 1 egg, 4% oz. butter, 4% oz. flour, and seasoning. Melt the butter, add the flour, and when well blended, stir in the milk and bring it to the boil. Add the corn, previously drained, boil gently for a few minutes, then draw the pan aside. Stir in the finely’ grated cheese, and well beaten egg, and cook the mixture again for a few minutes, but do not let it boil. Add seasoning to taste, and serve on hot buttered toast. | Corn Fritters One tin of sweet corn, or some cooked young corn, 1 egg, % pint milk, 4 oz. flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch salt. Make a batter with the flour, egg, milk and salt, and leave it to stand for about an hour. Add the corn and baking powder, and fry in~ boiling fat. One | tablespoon of batter makes a fritter- | delicious served with bacon. .

Corn Souffle Soak 1 cup breadcrumbs in 1 cup milk for ten minutes. Then stir in 1 cup cooked corn, 1 cup grated cheese, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 3 wellbeaten yolks, and pepper, salt and paprika to taste, with chopped parsley on top. Lastly, fold in the stiffly-beaten whites, and bake in a moderate oven about half an hour. Stand the dish in another dish of water, and have the oven moderately hot.

Sweet Corn Tart Line either little patty pans, or a big pie plate, with good pastry. Mix together 1 tin of sweet corn — or a breakfast cup of cooked corn — 1 breakfast cup of unpolished rice, cooked and flavoured. with a little minced onion, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, a pinch of curry powder, and a teaspoon of meat or vegetable extract. Fill the pans, or plate, with this mixture, cover with pastry, and cook. Pop Corn Pop corn can be made of ordinary corn, or sweet corn. Heat a frying pan, butter it as you would a cake tin, put (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) in the corn, and shake over moderate heat till the grains have all burst, or "popped." Wipe out the pan, and repeat, till sufficient corn has been Popped. Put into an iron saucepan 1 tablespoon of butter, 3 tablespoons of water, and 1 cup of white sugar. Boil until ready to candy, then throw in the popped corn, and stir briskly till the sugar is well distributed through the kernels. Take off the pan, and stir till the syrup cools a little, and each popcorn is sugared. Then shake the popcorn in dry icing sugar, and store in tins.