For a little break from tea and cocktails (only temporary, I assure you!), here’s my riff on the Barefoot Contessa’s confetti corn.
I love corn on the cob so much I rarely do much else with it, but I had Confetti Corn at a friend’s house and was astonished that the beautiful simplicity of corn was not diluted by the other ingredients. Basil and corn may sound weird, but think of polenta with pesto. So I went with a different but equally delicious combination that is great for fall.
Basically, this is sautéed corn with ginger and garlic in sesame oil with some soy sauce and green onions. If you’d like an actual recipe, I’ve done my best below, but any competent cook can wing this one. It’s meant more as a suggestion than a recipe.
I did try it with (lightly) pre-boiled corn and fresh corn sliced from the cob. I thought that undercooking the cobs would make it easier to remove and shorten the process, but it just added an unnecessary step. If you have leftover cobs and you’d like to use them, it’s a great way to repurpose the extras. But it’s pretty easy and really fresh tasting sliced off the cob before you cook it. More tender, too.
Peppers and green onions add colour, texture and flavour. I had some purple cauliflower, so I threw that in too. Of course I don’t expect you’ll have that, but if you do, it absolutely can’t hurt!
If this looks time consuming, it’s not really. There’s a bit of chopping and grating, but chives can be used instead of green onions, the peppers dice up pretty quick, and everyone loves it so off you go. Reheats easily.
Lovely with teriyaki salmon or ginger chicken. Throw cubed tofu in it if that’s your thing.
Ingredients
- 1 large white onion
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1-2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 6 cobs fresh corn
- 6 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Heat pan and add two oils. Add finely dice onion and cook on low, stirring occasionally while you chop the other vegetables. Add more oil if needed.
- Dice pepper and cut corn off cobs. Set aside.
- Grate ginger and garlic.
- Once onions are softened, add ginger and garlic and sautée briefly.
- Turn heat up tp medium. Add red pepper and sautée for about 3 minutes, until starting to soften.
- Add corn and sautée for a minute, then lower heat. Add soya sauce and reduce until mostly evaporated.
- Once the corn is cooked through (just!), top Witt fresh green onions and serve.
Mmmm. Sounds good! Will try it tonight.