Before we get to the nitty gritty of pan-roasting corn, let’s just say that I was hoping to have a soup recipe for you, but “my best people” thought it was a girly soup.

You know, the kind that ladies-who-lunch sip on, cooing how delicious it is? Well, it is delicious, and if I’m honest, it is a bit frou-frou.

So while I lick my wounds and contemplate whether or not it’s worth your time, I thought I hold a class on how to pan-roast corn — which is probably a heckofva lot more useful than some sissy soup.

Why would you want to pan-roast corn? Because it’s easy to make, it’s versatile and it tastes phenomenally better than boiled corn, thanks to the caramelization of corn’s natural sugar content.

Here’s how you do it. Set a skillet over medium-high heat while you shuck the corn. You can use any skillet, but I prefer a cast-iron skillet because it really sears the corn.

Wash and pat dry the corn. Hold the ear, pointy end down inside of a large bowl, which will catch the kernels instead of sending them flying all over the counter. Use a chef’s knife (or a serrated knife if you prefer) and slice down one side of the corn.

Turn the corn a quarter turn and slice again. Repeat two more times, for a total of 4 cuts. The cob will resemble a squared-off rectangle when you’re finished.

The skillet should be nice at hot by now and you can throw the corn in — that’s right: no oil, no butter, no nothing. It’s a dry skillet (which is another reason I like to use cast iron because it can take the punishing heat without any fat.)

DON’T STIR. Sorry to shout, but this is important. You want the corn to spend some time browning, and stirring just spoils the fun. After a couple minutes, you can stir, gently, once, wait a couple minutes and then stir one last time.

It will take about 5 minutes total, to roast the corn, and it should look like the corn in the picture above.

If you cook much longer than 5 minutes, the corn will be overcooked. Remove the corn from the skillet once it’s done, and use immediately, or store in the fridge for a couple of days.

How can you use pan-roasted corn? Let me give you a few ideas to get your mind rolling on the infinite possibilities:

1. Top a girly soup (actually,you can add to any soup, girly or not)

2. Sprinkle on top of a fresh garden salad

3. Fold into an omelet

4. Serve as a side dish for barbecue chicken

5. Use as a filling for savory crepes, along with cooked shrimp or lump crab

Got any other ideas? Leave a comment and share.

Tags: cooking technique, corn, kitchen tip, pan roasting
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | 14 Comments »

Gingerroot (sometimes just referred to as fresh ginger) is a rhizome plant that grows horizontally, with green shoots above ground and knobby stems below. What grows beneath the soil line is what we use in the kitchen. The shoots are generally not sold, although sometimes you might find them at farmers markets with a small knob of the stem attached.

Open my teeny freezer anytime of year and I guarantee you that you’ll find a plastic bag, or two, of ginger. One bag will contain grated ginger, the other sliced coins of ginger.

Why? Because ginger is a secret weapon for flavoring stir fries, rice dishes, coconut milk-based soups and a myriad of other dishes. Its pungent heat also counterbalances strong fish flavors, too, making it a natural flavor component for tuna and salmon.

Invariably, I’ve bought more than I need at any given time, so packaging it up for later is the only sensible thing to do.

I will likely get a visit from the “ginger police” after this comment, but I’m going to say it anyway. I break off  a knob of ginger right there in the grocery store for two reasons. One, I don’t want to buy a piece as big as my hand, but the main reason I do it is because I’m looking for a sign of how fresh the ginger is.

If I see a pale green or gray ring just inside the skin, it means that the ginger’s been sittin’ around awhile. It’s still OK to use, but it won’t be as juicy or sharp as ginger without the “age ring.”

Peeling ginger (which I think is essential but some chefs do not) is best done with a spoon, which scrapes off just the thin skin. It’s a little trick I learned from watching Martin Yan on Yan Can Cook. A few years ago, we were seated next to each other during a cookbook signing – Walters/Yan, alphabetically, you know and Ann Willan was on the other side of me. I was a bit star-struck. Anyway, I thanked Yan for showing me the easiest way to peel ginger, which leaves much more of the flesh than a knife or peeler does. How often do you get to thank one of your favorite PBS cooking stars?

After peeling the ginger, grate it with a microplane or ginger grater or slice it into thin coins. (I use the coins for flavoring broths and steeping with tea.)

Pop the ginger into freezer zipper bags, label with the date and that it’s ginger, lest you forget, and put them in the freezer. The freezer life is about three, maybe four months. Anytime you come across a recipe for fresh ginger, you can use your freezer stash instead of running to the store. I’m not going to lie and say that it is just as good as fresh – it’s not – but it’s beats no ginger, and dry, ground ginger is simply not a substitute for fresh (or frozen) ginger.

Gingerroot (Zingiber officinale)

Uses: culinary and medicinal (aids in digestion, helps with nausea)

Flavor: sharp, peppery

Buy: tight, smooth-skinned knobs

Store: in the refrigerator for a couple weeks or frozen for up to four months

Tags: Ann Willan, ginger, kitchen tip, Martin Yan, tools
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | 5 Comments »

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