Never Discard That Parmigiano Crust – It's a Superb Flavor Booster – Cooking Guide
The hard ends of Parmesan cheese represent the best sustainable kitchen trick – like a cheesy stock cube, they enrich stews, gravies and various dishes, providing incredible taste in the form of umami depth and smooth consistency. Stored in the fridge or freezer, they last for a very long time. This week’s recipe uses them in a thrifty, creamy corn orzo that converts a handful of basic items into cozy fall food.
Creamed Corn Orzo
This dish was a happy accident, and left me and my family drooling for more. I was planning a traditional tomato pasta to use up the remaining portion in the pantry remaining after making a cold pasta dish, but desired a dish fitting the season. Fresh corn cobs are one of autumn’s fleeting treats, similar to asparagus in seasonality, and during their brief season I enjoy them often. Following this approach, I believed it would be beneficial to utilize the entire corn – not only the juicy seeds, but also the starchy, flavourful pulp and the spent cobs. The additional taste, combined with a parmesan rind, onion, dairy spread and a splash of cream or water, turns a one ear of corn into a generous and very fulfilling meal for two people.
Serves 2 generously
- 1 fresh corn cob
- 50 grams of butter
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- Two cloves of garlic, skinned and coarsely cut
- 250g orzo
- 40-50g parmesan rind – shred and save leftover cheese
- 100 milliliters of heavy cream, if desired
- Salt and black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
For maximum taste from the corn, stand it on one end, slice off the kernels lengthwise, then break up the cobs by hand. Next, using a spoon, quickly scrape the thick, creamy residue from the cobs into a container. Put the spent cobs in a pan with 750ml water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil, cover and leave to cook on a low heat.
Melt the butter in a separate big skillet on a medium-low heat. Put in the onion and garlic, sauté softly, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until soft, then add the corn kernels and orzo, and saute for three minutes. Introduce the cheese rind, heavy cream, if preferred, and the reserved corn pulp, heat until bubbling and cook for two minutes, stirring to make sure the mix doesn’t catch and burn.
Strain the hot corn stock into the pasta pot, heat until boiling, then lower to a gentle boil and cook, stirring frequently, 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 serve topped with additional butter and a dusting of the reserved grated parmesan.
