A corn cocktail and even some ice cream! Getting creative with sweet corn

MILWAUKEE -- Nothing says summer like sweet corn -- and today we explored both the sweet and savory sides of it. Chef Alisa Malavenda joins Real Milwaukee with some corn creations you'd never even dream of.

Sweet Corn Cocktail 

Muddle/Mash corn in the bottom of a cocktail shaker until milky sweet liquid forms

Add lime juice, simple syrup ,rum or bourbon and bitters, Fill the shaker with ice and shake until frost forms on outside of shaker.

Strain liquid into a cocktail glass

Sriracha Beer Buttered Grilled Corn

With a hand or stand mixer , beat butter until it is light and fluffy.

Add the beer, sriracha, garlic and salt and beat until completely combined.

Add butter to parchment paper and roll into a log. Place in refrigerator until firm , at least 1 hour

Brush the corn with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill on all sides until lightly charred and tender, about 2-3 minutes on a side

Add the corn to pieces of aluminum foil, top with several slices of butter, sprinkle with cilantro or parsley.

Bacon Wrapped Corn

Wrap 2 pieces of bacon around each corn cob, sprinkle with black pepper and chili powder

Place each ear of corn on a piece of foil and wrap twisting the ends.

Grill over med high heat for 5 minutes on each side for a total of about 15-20 minutes

Remove corn from foil and place bacon wrapped corn directly on grill to crisp bacon.

Corn Salsa

Take kernels off cob and place in a bowl ( for a roasted salsa , alternatively you could spread corn kernels on a baking sheet, Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden and cool)

Add remaining ingredients and mix well to combine all the flavors. Let sit for at least 30 minutes for all the flavors to develop.

This is delicious on its own or with grilled meat and fish.

Grilled Corn and Sausage Kabobs ( makes 4 kabobs)

Marinade:

Thread corn, kielbasa and peppers on long metal skewers – each skewers should have 2 corn , 2 pepper and 3 sausage.

Whisk together all ingredients for marinade, brush each skewer with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.

Grill over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are brown and tender. Make sure you turn and brush more marinade on each side while grilling.

Humitas- ( Corn and Cheese Tamales)

Aji Criollo :

Puree Peppers and 2 T water with the salt in a blender.

Combine the puree with the green onion, cilantro and remaining water. Stir to mix.

Leftover Grilled Corncakes with Blueberry Compote

In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk wet ingredients of milk, buttermilk, egg and extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until it is just combined (lumps are ok) and you do not want to over mix. Gently fold in the corn kernels.

Melt one t butter in a pan over low heat so butter doesn’t burn, turn up heat and add a ladle full of pancake mix to skillet. Cook on first side until you see little bubbles forming on surface(about 2-3 minutes) flip and cook until golden on other side another 2 minutes. DO NOT PAT DOWN - you want to keep them fluffy. Keep the cakes warm in a low heat oven while you make the rest of the batter. You can serve these with maple syrup, put blueberries in the pancakes or make a quick blueberry syrup

 Make the blueberry compote:

Bring 1 cup blueberries, the granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until berries burst and liquid thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup blueberries. Let cool.

Corn Ice Cream with Salted Caramel and Toasted Peanuts

Remove kernels off cob and then cut cobs in half. In a large saucepan , add kernels and cob halves, Add cream, milk, ½ C sugar and salt. Bring mixture to almost boiling point , but do not boil. Let cool and steep for 2-3 hours. Discard cobs.

Working in batches, puree corn mixture in blender until smooth. When all the mixture is pureed, return to a saucepan and bring back to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from stove.

Whisk egg yolks and remaining ¼ C sugar. temper egg yolks by whisking 1 C of corn mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture back to saucepan with rest of mixture and cook over medium low heat , whisking constantly until custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Strain the custard through a sieve, pressing down on all the solids, discard solids. Put Custard into an ice bath and refrigerate for  at least 2 hours or over night.

Pour mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until firm at least 3 hours or overnight.  Serve with caramel cream and chopped toasted peanuts.

For Salted Caramel :

Add sugar and water to medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the syrup turns golden. Immediately remove it from the heat and slowly add the cream. Be careful as the mixture will spatter. Return to a medium heat and continue to cook and stir until the mixture is smooth. Strain into a heat proof bowl and add salt , stir and then chill

This ice cream is also delicious with the blueberry compote and also used for blueberry or strawberry shortcakes.

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