Sensational Summertime

The local corn is SO good right now I needed to find a perfect vehicle for it and found it in a recipe of Risotto with Corn, Tomatoes & Basil. The recipe hails from Fine Cooking issue 59 (from September 2003). Excellent summertime fare. My only improvement is you need more than the 4 cups of chicken broth published in the original recipe, which is why I've noted it as 6 cups in the recipe below. I think you'd be sorely disappointed if you didn't warm up this amount. You may have a bit left over, but better that than not enough. As well, I use just 2 ears of corn (that's plenty, or else the recipe would need to be renamed "Corn with Risotto....") and not the 3 ears of corn as published in the original recipe. I have a special technique to cut the corn kernels off of the cob. If you're like me and have A LOT of kitchen stuff, you'll likely have a bundt pan - here's another purpose for it. Stand the corn on end using the middle/centre whole of the bundt pan to hold the corn in place (the tip of the corn) and hold the stalk end of the cob with your hand. Then run your chef's knife down the length of the cob and give the cob a quarter turn (or so) and repeat until all the kernels are off. As you slice the kernels off the cob the bundt pan catches the bounty. Cool, eh?

Before we get to the recipe, I thought it was also important to provide a lovely cocktail recipe as well. A girl's gotta have something to sip on while patiently stirring her risotto. This drink was written up in last month's issue of Bon Appetit and is called The Leland Palmer (one of the character's names from the long ago TV show Twin Peaks). It's quintessential summer - sunshine in a glass. So let me first introduce you to Leland Palmer and then we'll get down to the business of making risotto:

The Leland Palmer
Makes about 12 drinks (the recipe says makes 6, but don't believe them). The recipe can easily be halved.
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup hot water
3 cups freshly brewed jasmine tea, cooled
3/4 cup gin
3/4 cup limoncello
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 cup chilled club soda
Ice cubes
Lemon slices (for garnish)

Stir honey and hot water in a small bowl until honey dissolves. Cool completely. Combine all of the remaining ingredients (except ice and lemon slices) into a pitcher and stir to blend. Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour in mixture; top with a lemon slice.

And now for the Risotto. A fresh garden salad to follow, or served on the side, is a great pairing.

Risotto with Corn, Tomatoes & Basil
(Serves three as a main dish; six as a side dish)
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 ears corn, shucked and cleaned of any silk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 shallot or small onion, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped plum or cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat the broth in a pot or saucepan large enough to fit the corn over medium-low heat to just below a simmer. Simmer the corn in the broth for 4 minutes and transfer to a plate; reserve the broth and keep it hot. Using a chef’s knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob.

In a heavy-based deep skillet or wide saucepan, melt the butter (or heat the oil) over medium heat. Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated with butter or oil. Pour in the wine, stir, and cook until the wine is absorbed, about 1 minute.

Ladle in about 1-1/2 cups of the hot broth, and cook, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Continue adding broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring and simmering until it’s absorbed each time, at intervals of about 3 to 5 minutes.

While the rice is simmering, combine the tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, and 2 Tbs. of the basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

When the rice is just barely tender, after about 16 minutes, stir in the corn. Continue adding more stock and stirring until the rice is creamy but still firm to the tooth, 20 to 25 minutes total. Remove from the heat, fold in the Parmigiano and then the tomato-basil mixture. Top each serving with the remaining basil and serve immediately.