Creamed Corn with Chorizo

It appears Summer is over. Grey skies dominate and the wind has become chilly. I don't know if I'll ever get over this short, rainy disappointment of a season, but the shops are still selling ears of corn. Sheathed in papery husks, they taste of sunshine to me. Lightly steamed, slathered in butter and shimmering with salt flakes, I rarely eat them any other way. When creamed though, corn takes on a new guise; rather than a snack, they are transformed into a bowl of comfort. Spiked through with spicy chorizo, livened with lemon and freshened with coriander leaves, it is a meal in itself. Switch the herbs and forget the chorizo, it makes a fine accompaniment to roasted or buttermilk fried chicken.



Creamed Corn with Chorizo



Serves 2, or 4 as a side



4 ears of corn, as fresh as possible

2 small floury potatoes, peeled and diced

300mls of milk plus more if needed

1 hot chorizo sausage, around 100gr - you want the raw, not cured kind

1 lemon

A handful of coriander (replace with parsley for a side dish), chopped roughly

1 small onion

3 cloves of garlic

A pinch of salt



Shave the corn kernels off two ears of corn. Blitz roughly in a food processor but do not puree. Deskin the sausage and fry the meat in a dry frying pan and set to one side once the meat is well cooked and slightly crisp. Wipe out the oil, leaving about a tablespoon. Dice and mince the onion, and fry in the chorizo fat until softened. Add the blitzed corn and potato and mix well, then add the milk. Simmer very gently for 15 or so minutes.



Shave the rest of the corn kernels off the cobs and add to the pan. Simmer for a further 10 - 15 minutes, adding more if it's looking dry. By the time it's cooked it should be fairly thick, the texture of a loose dhal perhaps. Finish with the salt and a squeeze of lemon. Dish out and top with the coriander and the chorizo.