Corn is in abundance right now, but unfortunately the season is never long enough for us. In talking with some of the local growers, it sounds like we may be enjoying corn for at least a couple of weeks more. After that, we will rely on the corn that we have put in the freezer. We have found that scraping fresh uncooked corn off the cob and placing it directly into the freezer in plastic zipper bags gives us the ability to enjoy recipes such as the ones in this week's column during other times of the year.

The corn fritter recipe is a very light, delicate one rather than the one frequently seen which has a much heavier batter. These fritters are wonderful with almost anything. The succotash and grilled dolphin* recipe is taken from Magnolia's Southern Cuisine by Donald Barickman (Wyrick & Company, 1995). We enjoy eating at Magnolia's at every opportunity and we have been very pleased with Mr. Barickman's cookbook, from which we have tried a number of dishes. The first time we made this particular recipe, we had all the ingredients on hand except the fish. We made the succotash and served it over steamed rice and found it was wonderful that way, as well.

* A footnote concerning 'dolphin' - Living on the coast of South Carolina, the last thing we would do is offer recipes for a protected fish. If you check the definition of "dolphin", after the part about the Flipper-type of dolphin, you will find an explanation on "bony food fish - genus Coryphaena) that are served regularly in restaurants (and homes) all over the country. Some places have gotten over the freak-out factor that comes with using the word dolphin and use the less threatening term, "mahi mahi" on their menus. One other point of interest according to fishermen in the area, dolphin (again the Flipper-type) would be almost impossible to catch because they are amazingly bright.

 

Corn Fritters

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 cups corn, scraped (see note)
1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper
5 TBS all-purpose flour
1 TBS melted butter
Vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gently whisk in the corn, seasoning, and flour. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. In a small heavy pan, heat oil. Drop the batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, browning lightly on both sides (2-3 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Makes approximately 20 small fritters.

Scraped corn: Run a knife blade down the center of each row of kernels. Place the end of the ear in a shallow bowl and scrape the kernels and "milk" into the bowl. For the fritter recipe, this method works better than scraping the whole, uncut kernels. It will take 4-6 ears of corn to yield two cups of scraped corn.

 

Chicken And Corn Soup

Ingredients:

3 TBS butter
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup onion, minced
3 TBS all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
2 cups fresh corn kernels
2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into small pieces
1 cup butter beans, cooked
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the celery and onion. Cook for 5-8 minutes over low heat, or until vegetables are softened. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Continue whisking, and add the chicken broth and milk. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and add the corn, chicken and butter beans. Bring back to a simmer and season to taste. (We thickened the soup at this point with a small amount of cornstarch dissolved in water.) 6 servings.

 

Filet Of Grilled Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) With A Succotash Of Shrimp, Butter Beans, Yellow Corn And Fresh Spinach

Succotash:

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup red onion in 1/2 inch dice
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup red pepper in 1/2 inch dice
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, cooked
2 cups butter beans, cooked
20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and julienned
1 cup chicken gravy*
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Dolphin:

4 dolphin filets (6-7 ounces each), skinned
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, red peppers, and corn and saute, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the butter beans and mix well. Add the shrimp, spinach, chicken gravy and chicken broth. Simmer, stirring until the shrimp are pink have begun to curl up and the spinach is wilted. Season to taste.

Prepare grill according to manufacturer's instructions. Remove any dark reddish meat from the dolphin filets. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the filets on the hot grill, skin side up (you can recognize the skin side of the filet by its silvery sheen). Grill the filets 6-7 minutes per side.

Divide the shrimp succotash among four warm serving plates. Place the grilled dolphin on top and serve immediately. 4 servings.

Chicken Gravy:

4 TBS butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 TBS parsley, finely chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Make a roux by adding the flour and stirring until well combined. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the roux develops a light golden color and has a nutty aroma. Turn the heat to medium and gradually add two cups of chicken broth, stirring vigorously. Keep stirring constantly until the broth begins to thicken and is smooth. Gradually add the remaining two cups of broth, stirring constantly until the broth thickens into a gravy. Continue to simmer over low heat for 15 minutes to cook out the starchy flavor. Add the chopped parsley and season to taste. Makes 4 cups.



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