After the meteorologically bizarre summer we’ve had and the continuing weirdness moving into fall — honestly, lilacs re-blooming in mid-September? — I just wanted to celebrate the last of this summer’s sweet corn before it disappeared.
My first thought: Jim Ely’s (I believe, although perhaps misremembering) fregola risotto with sweet corn from years ago at the Riverview Restaurant in Cold Spring (fregola being a toasted Italian pea-sized pasta), cooked in the manner of risotto, slowly simmered and stirred with fresh sweet corn until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Not complicated, but the fregola can be hard to find. And I’m sensitive to that after a comment from a friend who said he enjoyed the column but said the recipes regularly seemed to require an ingredient he couldn’t find.
Maybe, yes, sometimes I tend to complicate the simple things, belying the “small, good” intent of the equation. So why don’t we make a regular old riso risotto with sweet corn?
Either way, it’s a surprisingly complementary use of common ingredients, highlighting the texture of the slow-cooked, short grain risotto-style rice and the sweetness and tender “pop” of the kernels of corn — an effect that confirms food writer and corn authority Betty Fussell’s estimation that corn should be likened to caviar, each ear like a roe sac containing possible generations of progeny and therefore precious and worth celebrating.
The ingredients list is minimal. The rice should be a short-grain, high-starch risotto variety (Arborio or Carnaroli), but Spanish Bomba (used for paella) will work. These can be cooked longer in the broth without becoming mushy while the starches become saucy-creamy, also accentuated by finishing the dish with butter and grated cheese.
There are those who would further exaggerate the creaminess factor by folding in mascarpone or whipped cream, but even to this unrepentant hedonist that seems like tempting fate.
And to be sure, if you are dairy-free, substitute olive oil for the butter, ignoring the last addition. In place of the cheese, I’d suggest a tablespoon or two of sweet white miso for a funky umami, unless there is some abominable cheese-like substitute you’re comfortable with.
For the stock (vegetable preferred), even water will do, but if you have an extra hour, you can make a corn-infused stock from the cobs reserved from prepping the corn. This will noticeably up the corn-centric flavor quotient of the final dish. Simmer the scraped cobs for 45 minutes in 6 to 8 cups of water (or vegetable broth), along with a quartered onion and a stick or two of roughly chopped celery. Strain the resulting broth and proceed with the recipe.
The final result is a salute to the last of summer, and a warm and satisfying foretaste of the comfort foods of fall and winter. Truth be told, you might want to hold on to this recipe: A credible and satisfying version could be made with quality frozen organic sweet corn, bringing the summer back when you might need it most.
Sweet Corn Risotto
Serves 4
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or olive oil, or a combination of the two)
1 medium shallot, minced
1 cup risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone Nano or Spanish Bomba)
¼ cup white wine
6 cups stock — vegetable, chicken, corn (see note in story) or water
2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels removed from about 2 cobs; reserve cobs for corn stock
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, or see story for dairy and nondairy substitutes
¼ cup chopped chives or minced fresh green herbs of your choice (parsley, basil, tarragon)
- In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a low simmer and keep it there while you prepare the risotto.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a wide, high-sided (about 2 quarts) sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook (do not brown), stirring occasionally for about five minutes. Add rice and stir regularly until the grains are coated and beginning to appear a bit translucent.
- Add wine and cook, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup (about 2 ladlesful) of the stock and continue stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and cook, stirring until it too is absorbed. Continue this procedure, adding a ladleful of stock whenever the mixture begins to appear dry.
- At approximately the 20-minute mark of cooking, add the corn kernels and another ladleful of stock, proceeding as before. At about the 25-minute mark, the mixture should be getting “creamy,” and the corn be cooked and tender. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. If you like your risotto a little runny, add another scant ladleful of stock, stir briefly for a couple of minutes to incorporate and remove the pot from the heat.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about ½ of the grated cheese and most of the chives or fresh herbs, reserving a bit of each for garnish. Stir to incorporate and cover pot for 5 minutes off heat. To serve, spoon into shallow bowls and sprinkle each with some of the remaining cheese and herbs.
