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  • Corn Maque Choux

    1 vote
    Corn Maque Choux
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Servings: 8
    by Ron Baldwin
    4 recipes
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    A delightful side dish that is said to be derived from a Native American recipe predating european settlement in the Americas, and is typical modern New Orleans fare. Spicy hot and sweet. This can be made purely vegetarian by substituting peanut or corn oil for the bacon.

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 pound bacon (about 3 medium-width strips) or salt pork, cut into small dice. (Vegetarian substitute: 2 Tablespoons peanut oil or corn oil; olive oil may be used with care if heat is kept at no more than medium level (i.e., olive oil will burn at a relatively low temperature)).
    • 6 medium-sized cloves peeled garlic.
    • 1 large shallot, peeled.
    • 1 small red bell pepper, core and seeds removed.
    • 2 celery stalks.
    • 1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed. May substitute a habanero pepper (sometimes called a scothbonnet pepper) for greater heat, if desired.
    • 10-12 ears of fresh corn, shucked and corn kernels cut from the cob. Canned or frozen corn may be substituted (about 4 16 ounze cans or 20 ounzes frozen - difference is the water weight in the canned product) but will be less sweet and more starchy in the end product than fresh corn.
    • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper.
    • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste.
    • 1 teaspoon salt.
    • 1/4 cup chardonnay wine, or substitute vegetable stock or broth.
    • 2 tablesppons butter (optional).

    Directions

    1. Wash and dice the garlic, shallot, bell pepper, hot pepper, and celery and combine in a bowl. A manual fine dice is great; BUT, for those still mastering their culinary cutting skills, use a food processor. Combine all the above ingredients in the processor bowl with the basic cutting blade installed, close the lid, and then pulse the blade until a fine dice is achieved.
    2. Use a large, heavy frying pan capable of holding all the ingredients since they will ultimately be combined. Render the diced bacon (i.e., cook down until browned and slightly crunchy, leaving bacon bits and bacon grease in the pan). For the vegetarian version, heat the vegetable oil in the large frying pan.
    3. Add the diced vegetables to the hot oil or bacon. Sir constantly with a heavy wooden spoon (or other high heat resistant utensil) until transparent, about 3-5 minutes depending on the heat level. Medium-high heat is desirable but medium heat will work fine, just keep an eye on the pan and adjust as you go, there should not be any smoke rising from the oil or grease at any time.
    4. Add the cut corn kernels into the hot pan and continue stirring almost constantly at medium-to-high heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until tender. Frozen corn will still take about 5 minutes because it starts from frozen, but canned corn will cook faster, perhaps as little as 2 minutes.
    5. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, and cracked fresh black pepper to taste and stir another 30 seconds to combine.
    6. Deglaze the pan with the wine, or vegetable stock (or broth). Deglaze basically means just pour the liquid into the frying pan and keep stirring, the brown bits in the bottom of the pan will be absorbed into the liquid adding flavor and thickening the mixture into a sauce consistency. This should take less than a minute at medium high heat. Turn off the heat.
    7. Add the butter after taking the pan off the heat for a rich texture and additional flavor.
    8. Place the Corn Maque Choux into a serving dish and serve.

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