Never Discard That Parmigiano Crust – It Is an Excellent Stock Cube – Recipe
The hard ends of Parmesan cheese represent the best sustainable kitchen trick – like a cheesy stock cube, they enrich soups, sauces and all sorts, providing incredible taste in the form of umami depth and creamy texture. Kept in the fridge or freezer, they last for a very long time. Today's culinary creation uses them in a thrifty, rich corn and pasta dish that converts a few simple ingredients into comforting autumn fare.
Creamed Corn Orzo
This dish came about by chance, and left me and my family drooling for more. Originally, the idea was a traditional tomato pasta to finish that half-bag in the pantry remaining after making a pasta salad, but wanted something more seasonal. Fresh corn cobs are one of fall's short-lived pleasures, as short-lived as asparagus, and while they are available I eat them weekly. In the spirit of this column, I believed it would be good to utilize the entire corn – not only the juicy seeds, but also the thick, tasty residue and the spent cobs. The additional taste, paired with a parmesan rind, onion, butter and a splash of cream or water, transforms a one ear of corn into a hearty and very fulfilling meal for two people.
Serves 2 generously
- 1 fresh corn cob
- 50g butter
- One medium-sized onion, skinned and diced
- Two cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 250g orzo
- 40 to 50 grams of Parmesan crust – shred and save leftover cheese
- 100ml double cream, optional
- Sea salt and ground pepper
- High-quality olive oil, to finish
To get the most flavour from your corn cob, stand it on one end, cut off the kernels in long strips, then break up the cobs by hand. After that, with a spoon, quickly scrape the thick, creamy residue from the cobs into a bowl. Place the used cobs in a pot with 750ml water, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, put a lid on and leave to cook on a low heat.
Heat the butter in a separate big skillet on a medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté softly, mixing, for about 5 minutes, until tender, then add the corn kernels and orzo, and cook for three more minutes. Add the parmesan rind, heavy cream, if preferred, and the reserved corn pulp, bring to a simmer and cook for two minutes, stirring to make sure the mix doesn’t catch and burn.
Drain the warm corn broth into the orzo pan, heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer and cook, mixing often, for about seven minutes, until the orzo is al dente and the mixture is loose and creamy; include more water if needed. Adjust flavors with salt and pepper, and dish up topped with additional butter and a dusting of the saved shredded cheese.
