Maque Choux

I've been making essentially this summer side dish for years - minus the butter. A splash of good extra-virgin to get things going. A squeeze of lime at the end. A sprinkling of cilantro. I realize that corn and butter go together like ham and eggs. But a whole stick? Ms. Hamilton's cholesterol must be way better than mine.

If you have a Bundt pan, put it on a towel and put the small end of the cob in the hole in the center and shave away.

I do love a recipe that encourages me to 'notice', and to breathe in and visually observe and listen to each gentle step. Beautifully written! Thank you Ms. Hamilton for brightening my morning in these dark times. This goes into the recipe box to await the first fresh corn of the season in Maine!

This is a great dish with good, fresh, sweet summer corn. I have been making it for years, as did my Mother and Grandmother before me. We called it “fried corn.” Never celery though, just peppers, sweet, bell, hot, any combination and a bit of red onion or scallion in a pinch. Try it with a bit of fried bacon, sautéing the corn in a bit of bacon fat and tossing the crumbled bacon in just before serving. Delicious! It’s easy to do vegan also, just skip the butter or bacon, and use oil. Enjoy!

The other Julia always said, when taken to task for her use of butter, that each diner gets a tablespoon or two in a dish. I doubt that Ms Hamilton eats a quart of this mixture at one time. It's OK.

For decades I've been cutting corn off of cobs trying almost every way described (& a few missed). Last year I bought one of the new OXO corn peelers and I have to tell you it's brilliant. There's two versions, a Y-shaped one and an I-shaped one. I got the latter. Anyway, a lot less mess, super quick, and very easy to use. I'm sorry I didn't have it earlier. (& no, I have no ties to the company.)

3/4 C kernels ~ 1 cob

I use bacon grease (kept in the freezer ALL THE TIME), trinity plus garlic. I also use creole seasoning and chopped up fresh tomatoes. Last night, I served it with fried catfish. Often, I blacken some shrimp to go along side.

A tablespoon or two of butter per serving is still a lot of butter. Tastes differ, but for those of us who prefer lighter and less fatty-tasting food (not a value judgement, just a matter of taste), this is much more delicious and healthier without the butter, and it's good to know that the dish still works well!

As another reader suggested, I started with bacon, and used the bacon fat instead of butter. Two red peppers, a hot banana pepper from the garden, and frozen corn. In this time of Covid, when I am tired of cooking, it was quick and easy and served as our entire dinner (not a "side dish" at all!)

Thank you! A new career for a wonderful chef on furlough. NYT, please allow Ms. Hamilton to write more for the food section.

I like to throw in a handful of frozen soybeans at the end to bring it a bit closer to succotash. Instead of red peppers, I usually drop in a big spoonful of red chilies preserved in salt, a Chinese condiment that adds some nice additional heat. You can do a lot of things with this dish. I'm sure a whole stick of butter tastes great, but it's a bit decadent. You can sweat everything down in olive oil and then stir in a few tablespoons of butter at the end. Tastes like summer.

My Plaquemines Parish grandmother called this 'smothered corn', and I'm now inspired to resurrect the recipe. Thanks for the reminder.

Endlessly customizable - I don’t eat red bell peppers but halved cherry tomatoes work perfectly well, and I usually finish with sliced scallions at the end.

Standard fare in Louisiana kitchens for leftover corn-off-cob, but does benefit from the usual additional diced fresh tomatoes (Creole if possible!). Agree with comment that less butter works just as well. Can add a little chicken broth or half and half if it gets too dry; should look like a thick stew. Perfect summer side!