I love corn and pretty much everything made with corn: cornbread…grilled corn…I make a very tasty corn pudding for Easter. As much as I say I love corn, my husband love LOVES corn on the cob. It was an almost every dinner affair during the summertime when he was growing up. He could sit down and make a meal out of two or three cobs exclusive of any other accompaniments.
There was a week about a month or so ago when I started receiving six ears of corn every week in my CSA box. Despite our his affinity for corn straight up, I wanted to make something simple-an alternative to corn on the cob-that would still allow the corn flavor to be the star of the dish. If you are using fresh corn off the cob, I recommend owning this…it is quite handy and tidy.
perfect creamed corn
6-8 ears cooked corn, stripped from the cob*
4 ounces chopped pancetta
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1-2 Tablespoons honey (to taste)
pinch cayenne pepper, if desired
Saute pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from skillet and place on plate with paper towel to drain. Heat a large skillet and add butter to melt. Whisk in the flour until combined and foaming, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick, 2-3 minutes. Stir in corn kernels and pancetta. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using), and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
*A note about cooking corn: You can grill the corn if you wish, but sometimes I don’t feel like firing up the grill, especially if I’m cooking other things inside and I can’t run back and forth. Lately, I’ve been cooking corn in the husk in the microwave. It seals in the moisture, and the husk and silk practically slip off afterward. Microwave 10 minutes for 6 ears of corn.
