This is an unusual side dish, one to bear in mind for the weekend I would suggest rather than knocking up a quick batch for the kids’ tea. It works brilliantly as an accompaniment to barbecued meat and also roast chicken; it’s both savoury and naturally sweet at the same time with good dollop-ability, ideal for scooping up on the end of a sausage. It would also suit the Masterchef treatment and smear nicely if you were eating indoors and feeling that way inclined.
That said, don’t be tempted to skip the need to pass the purée through a sieve. I know it’s a faff but if that’s a step too far I really wouldn’t bother; unfiltered sweetcorn purée is not a pleasurable eating experience, except perhaps for those seeking a high fibre diet.
A mouli will make light work of the whole process, but you will still need to blitz it in the food processor beforehand. I use frozen sweetcorn rather than the tinned stuff in water, I think it’s a more accurate representation of the real thing. And don’t omit the sugar, it’s there as a flavour enhancer working to accentuate the natural sweetness of the corn.
Ingredients
(makes enough for 6 dipping sized portions)
500g frozen sweetcorn
75g butter
125ml double cream
125ml chicken stock
1 x teaspoon caster sugar
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat and add the sweetcorn. It will clump together initially so just keep moving the sweetcorn around in the pan until it’s defrosted.
Add the sugar, cream, stock and a pinch of salt and let it simmer very gently for 10 minutes.
Pour the contents of the pan in to a food processor and blitz for a minute or two, scraping down the sides as you do.
Work the purée in small batches either through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or with a mouli, into a bowl below. Check for seasoning.
The purée can be served hot, cold or at room temperature.