Sweet Corn Risotto

By bigbare

Ingredients

• 5 ears corn
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 6 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cups corn kernels (or whatever you have left after slicing them from the cob)
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 quart corn stock
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Shucking the corn. Remove the husks and hair from the corncobs, but do not discard the husks. Slice the kernels from the corncobs, but do not discard the cobs.

Making the stock. Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in the oil. Add the onion and garlic to the oil and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn husks, the cobs, and the thyme. Cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock.

Starting the risotto. Set a large saucepan over medium heat and pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil and the butter. Add the corn kernels to the hot oil and butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and release their fragrance, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for 1 minute more.

Coating the rice. Toss in the Arborio rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the grains are entirely coated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, pushing the rice slowly in the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half its volume, about 5 minutes.

Adding the stock. At this point, pour the corn stock into the rice, 1 cup at a time, stirring gently. Stir and stir until the stock is absorbed into the rice. When the liquid is absorbed, but not dry, add more stock. Continue this process until all the stock is absorbed.

(You can use any leftover corn stock for other soups or foods where you need stock.)

Making the risotto creamy. Taste the rice. It should have no crunch to it. Instead, it should be chewy and soft, without being mushy. Taste the risotto and season with salt and pepper. Taste again. Toss in the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and the Parmesan cheese. Stir gently until everything is fully incorporated. Place the lid on the saucepan and allow the risotto to sit, covered, for 2 minutes, which will make the risotto beautifully creamy.