Reprinted from Ruffage by Abra Berens with permission by Chronicle Books, 2019
The best way to cut kernels from the cob is to take a bowl much larger than you think you’ll need (trust me on this), hold the stem end of the corn like a handle, and cut the kernels away from you into the bowl. You need a large bowl to catch the juice that will inevitably splatter.
Neutral oil
4 ears sweet corn (½ cup |70 g per ear), shucked, kernels cut off
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small (2 oz | ¼ cup | 55 g) red onion or shallot or any onion you have including scallion, sliced
3 garlic cloves (0.6 oz |17 g), minced
1 cup (240 ml) white wine
8 oz (230 g) soybeans, preferably fresh or frozen (don’t use dried)
1 pint (16 oz | 455 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp (30 g) butter (feel free to use Parmesan butter)
3 sprigs basil
Dollops of sour cream
Heat a glug of neutral oil in a large frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Add the corn and pinches of salt and pepper. Allow to brown without stirring, about 7 minutes—stir too much and it won’t caramelize. When lightly browned, give a good flip or stir to cook the other side, about 7 minutes. Transfer the corn to a bowl.
Add another glug of oil to the pan and sweat the onion and garlic until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half.
Add the soybeans and allow to steam in the residual wine until the beans are bright green (they are hard to overcook!) and the wine is fully reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the soybeans. Add the butter and let it melt and make everything glossy. Combine with the corn; taste and adjust the seasoning.
Tear the basil leaves over the whole lot and garnish with the sour cream. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Variations
w/roasted eggplant, mint + feta
1 eggplant (1 lb | 455 g), roasted (page 187)
4 oz (115 g) feta, crumbled
8 mint sprigs, leaves torn
Toss together the corn and eggplant. Garnish with the feta and torn mint leaves. A drizzle of chili oil (page 55) would not be out of place on this salad.
w/shaved zucchini, dill + sour cream
2 medium zucchini, shaved (page 385)
8 sprigs dill, chopped
Olive oil
Salt
¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
Toss the roasted corn with the shaved zucchini, chopped dill, a glug of olive oil, and a pinch of salt until coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish by dotting the sour cream over the whole salad.
w/roasted mushrooms, marjoram + fromage blanc
½ lb (230 g) mushrooms, roasted (page 24)
5 sprigs marjoram or oregano, leaves picked
¼ cup (60 g) fromage blanc or ricotta
Combine the roasted corn with the roasted mushrooms and marjoram leaves. Toss to coat. Adjust seasoning and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish all over with dots of the fromage blanc.