Creamless Creamed Corn

This is another winner from the Food and Wine daily emails that I  had to try.  I grew up on creamed corn.  In my house, Dad did most of the cooking, but the one thing Mom always did was Sunday supper.  Fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes and creamed corn.  Things that are staples on any southern table - and things that I want to pass along to The Baby as she's growing up.  

The challenge with recreating great southern recipes is not making them, it's making them healthy. So when this recipe came to my inbox, I was intrigued.

This packs a lot of flavor from the caramelizing of the shallots and the lemon and pepper. 

It also lends itself to adaption.  I could easily see adding chipotle peppers for a smoky kick, or thick cubed bacon or prosciutto, or jalapenos and cilantro.

This is a great base to accompany a variety of main courses - and without the guilt of your mother's recipe.

Creamless Creamed Corn
 

1 Box of Baby Bella Mushrooms

Boiling Water

10 Ears of Summer White Corn

2 Shallots, Minced

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest, Grated

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to Taste

 

Clean your mushrooms, separate the caps and stems and discard the stems.  Chop the caps, place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Let them set while you grate your corn.

Slice the corn off of five ears of corn - getting as close to the cob as you can.

The original recipe calls for a box grater.  That's one of the few things we don't have in our kitchen. Adapting, I found a food processor worked just fine.  Place the corn and any juices in a food processor and pulse until the corn is almost pureed.

Now cut the corn off of the remaining five ears of corn - leaving the kernels whole.  Combine the corn from the food processor and the kernels in a large bowl, and scrape the cobs with the edge of a knife to capture any extra juices.

Drain the mushrooms, and place a high-sided pan or dutch oven over medium-low heat.  Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic.

Cook until the shallots are soft - about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat up to high and stir in the corn mixture.  Cook until it thickens, stirring constantly - about three to five minutes.

A smoky, healthy, creamless creamed corn.  Enjoy!