Background
Have you ever got to a place in your cooking routine where you just can’t sum up the enthusiasm of another night with garden peas or carrots as a side on the plate? Well the Poles certainly did, and that’s where this simple but rather genius Crispy Sweetcorn recipe came from.
The history, like most side dishes in Poland is sketchy at best. That being said, my research revealed this recipe only really became popular in the last 30 years. Considering Poles have an adoration for Mediterranean cuisine, its likely this recipe is inspired from Greek type salads.
A great benefit for this dish is its versatility. Not only does it make a great side for meat dishes, but you can use it an interesting flavour boost to salads and soups.
Ingredients
| – Around 500g (1.1lbs) of Sweetcorn tinned or cobs. For tinned sweetcorn this should be the weight after draining. – 1/2 Teaspoon of Sweet Paprika – 1/3 Teaspoon of chilli Flakes or Pepper Cayenne – 1/3 Teaspoon of Salt – 1 Tablespoon of Vegetable oil |
Preparation
- If using corn cobs wash them first.
- If using tinned sweetcorn, drain the liquid.
Method
Prepare the cobs
If you’re using tinned sweetcorn you can skip this part. For those using Sweetcorn cobs, Fill a medium to large pot (whatever the cobs will fit into best) with water. Add a Teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to the boil. Once boiling carefully add the cobs and let them boil for around 10 – 13 minutes to soften.
When they’re done, allow them to cool until safe to handle and cut the corn from the cob using a sharp knife. Place the sweetcorn pieces in a large mixing bowl, ready for seasoning.
Season & Cook
In a large mixing bowl, add the sweetcorn, Paprika, Salt, Chilli flakes and 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix thoroughly.
Once finished, add baking paper to a large flat baking tray and spread out the Sweetcorn as evenly as possible. Ideally you want a single layer, with no corn sitting on top of each other as this will increase the baking time.
Cook at 200°C (390°F) for 10 minutes in the centre of a pre-heated oven. The sweetcorn can toast very quickly so be sure to keep eye on it to prevent burning. If you were using corn cobs and feel they need a little longer to soften more, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (355°F) and bake for another 5 minutes.
Serving
The beauty of this side is it can be served with almost anything, hot with meat based main dishes or as an additional ingredient to soups. You can also use cold it in salads.
If serving hot, I recommend adding a little Feta or Parmesan cheese to finish. If you want something to bulk up the portion, they go great with caramelised red onions.
Storage
If refrigerated within an hour of cooking, in an airtight food safe container. Then up to 5 days should be possible for storage.