As I thought about cooking it I mentally ran
through the list of vegetables in my pantry. I always lean toward the classics, but classic trout preparations focus more on the preparation of the fish…not
on the vegetables. Usually the trout is
quickly sautéed—just long enough to crisp the skin—then finished with salty and
tangy/mildly acidic ingredients: browned butter with almonds…lemon and capers…bacon/pancetta,
garlic and toasted breadcrumbs…and always including aromatic parsley. Since the fish itself is pretty mild, I
focused on the flavors at play in these traditional accompaniments as I
considered my vegetables.
I like corn with fish of all kinds and I had recently
purchased some of my first ears of the summer, so I thought I would start
there. The combo of pancetta, garlic and
parsley from Madeleine Kamman’s trout dish from the Aveyron had initially appealed
to me…and I knew these ingredients would go well with the corn.
Pancetta, garlic and parsley also made me think of a kohlrabi-sauced pasta I had made for dinner a few days prior. The kohlrabi in this dish is diced small—about
the size of a kernel of corn. And corn and
kohlrabi are delicious together. Suddenly there it was…a simple sauté of corn,
kohlrabi and pancetta (with garlic, spring onions and parsley). I knew it would be delicious.
The corn I used in my dish had already been roasted. I have been in the habit for
several years now of keeping a container of roasted corn in the fridge all
through summer corn season. Having it on
hand makes it easy to quickly prepare the roasted corn salads I love (with
tomatoes…avocado…summer squash…shell beans and roasted peppers…). But if you don’t have any roasted corn on
hand…and you don’t feel like heating up your kitchen just to roast an ear of
corn, you could just add the corn to the sauté in its raw state. Add it with the spring onions.
I have written the recipe as I made it: for one person. But it is easily multiplied for as many as
you will be serving. Simply choose a sauté pan that is just large
enough to hold all the vegetables in a snug single layer.
My trout dish really was delicious. But you don’t have to have trout to make this
corn and kohlrabi sauté. A few days
after I made it with the trout, I prepared it again (so I could write down the
recipe), but I used halibut instead of trout.
I think any kind of mild fish would be great. Simply sauté the fish and finish it with a
generous squeeze of lemon after you remove it from the pan. And even though I conceived of the recipe as
an accompaniment to fish, if you don’t like fish I’m sure it would make a fine
accompaniment for a pork chop…or even a pan seared chicken breast. And if you have never tasted kohlrabi, this
dish would be a great way to try it out.
Corn,
Kohlrabi, & Pancetta Sauté
For each serving you will need:
1 t. butter
1/2 oz. pancetta, minced or diced
1 small kohlrabi, peeled and cut in a
1/4-inch dice—you’ll have about 1/2 cup or 2 oz.
Olive oil
1 small spring onion (or scallion),
white and equal quantity of green, thinly sliced
1 clove green garlic (or a small clove
regular garlic), minced
1/3 to 1/2 cup roasted corn kernels
(about 2 oz.)—see notes
2 to 3 t. minced flat leaf parsley
Choose a sauté pan that is large enough
to hold the corn and kohlrabi in a snug single layer. Place the pan over moderate heat and add half
of the butter. When the butter has
melted, add the pancetta. When it has
rendered and begun to turn golden (2 to 3 minutes), transfer it to a plate
using a slotted spoon. The pancetta
should still be slightly soft and chewy (not crisp).
If the pan seems dry (there should be
enough fat in the pan to coat the kohlrabi), add a little olive oil. Add the kohlrabi to the pan along with a
pinch of salt. Let the kohlrabi sizzle
gently, stirring occasionally, until it is mostly tender—perhaps five minutes
or so. Add the remaining butter along
with the onions and garlic.
Cook until the onions are beginning to soften and everything is fragrant—about 2 minutes. If at this point the kohlrabi isn’t tender enough for your liking, add a splash of water and simmer gently until it is, replenishing the water as necessary. You should not need to cook it too much longer. When the kohlrabi is tender, allow the water to reduce/evaporate until the kohlrabi is once again gently sizzling in the fat. Add the corn along with the cooked pancetta and heat through. Toss in the parsley. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot.
Cook until the onions are beginning to soften and everything is fragrant—about 2 minutes. If at this point the kohlrabi isn’t tender enough for your liking, add a splash of water and simmer gently until it is, replenishing the water as necessary. You should not need to cook it too much longer. When the kohlrabi is tender, allow the water to reduce/evaporate until the kohlrabi is once again gently sizzling in the fat. Add the corn along with the cooked pancetta and heat through. Toss in the parsley. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot.
Notes:
- To roast corn, preheat the oven to 375° (or thereabout). Place the corn, in the husk, directly on the oven rack and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the corn from the oven. As soon as you are able to handle the corn, peel the husks and silks back so that the corn won't continue to cook. Cut the corn kernels away from the cob and enjoy...or use in a recipe. A typical ear of Midwestern summer corn yields about a cup of kernels.
- If you don't have roasted corn on hand (I keep it on hand during the summer for salads, pilafs, etc.) and don't want to turn your oven on I'm sure you could use fresh corn kernels in this recipe. Add with the spring onions. You may need to add a bit more butter or olive oil to the pan.
