“We blanch corn in boiling water and then shock it in ice water before doing any kind of cooking. This cuts down on cooking time and allows us to get a quick char on the outside without over- or undercooking the inside.”
—Ervin Bryant of Blue Collar in Miami, Florida
>Get his recipe for Corn with Piquillos
“Corn is starchy, so we’ll put corn pulp and juice through a strainer and use the resulting liquid to thicken sauces all summer. Right now, for example, we’re using it in a jus for a pork dish. We pour some stock into a skillet, then add a splash of corn juice, and it tightens up quickly. It’s almost like adding cornstarch.”
—Ryan Pera of Eight Row Flint, Revival Market, and Coltivare in Houston, Texas
>Get his recipe for Corn & Shrimp Tagliatelle
“When you have leftover corn, or even corncobs, you can simmer it in water for about an hour to make corn stock. It’s delicious, and a good substitute for chicken stock.”
—Edouardo Jordan of Salare and JuneBaby from Seattle, Washington
>Get his recipe for Corn Pots de Crème
“To silk an ear of corn, I’ll take a dry kitchen towel and wipe down the surface. A few quick, agitating swipes will get a lot of that silk off.”
—Steven Satterfield of Miller Union in Atlanta, Georgia
>Get his recipe for Scallion & Fresh Corn Spoon Bread
“I’ve worked in restaurants where people cut corn too close to the cob. You don’t want to take a piece of the cob with your kernels. It’s better to leave a little bit of kernel and use the back of a knife or a box grater to get the remaining juice and pulp. When we put up corn every summer, we freeze the pulp with the kernels.”
—April McGreger of Farmer’s Daughter Pickles & Preserves in Hillsborough, North Carolina
>Get her recipe for Nita’s Corn Salad
