I grew up eating locally grown corn on the cob. The mix of sweet corn, salt and butter makes my mouth water just thinking of it.
Alas, not everyone likes the exercise of eating corn on the cob. It can be messy and inefficient in removing corn from cob. I came up with this recipe as a happy compromise.
Sauteed Corn with Leeks
Servings: 8-10 as a side dish
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 ears corn (see below for prep)
- 4 small leeks, whites & light green only, chopped
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Directions:
- I remove the husk & silk from all the corn ears, then remove the kernels from the cob. I do this by holding an ear of corn upright in a large bowl and slicing off the kernels with a parring knife.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Add the leaks, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and saute for a couple of minutes until they start to soften.
- Add another tablespoon of butter, let it melt and add the corn kernels. Sprinkle with another pinch of salt and some cracked black pepper. Stir to combine with the leeks.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring every minute or two. You want the corn to heat through without turning it into mush.
- Taste periodically and when you like the feel of the corn add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir through until melted. Serve immediately.
Notes:
In the past I have made this with bacon. After prepping the corn cook 4-6 strips of bacon in the the saute pan until crispy. Drain the bacon fat, returning 1 tablespoon to the pan to cook the leaks in, skipping the first tablespoon of butter. Continue from step 3 above. At the end chop or crumble the bacon over the corn & leeks and serve.
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