Corn Oysters

This is an old recipe from a Dutch cookbook, they call them Welshkann Oyschters. I was skeptical about using a dry pan, so did some research and found that most recipes call for frying in oil of some sort. I used corn oil. I accidentally added too much salt, but these were good. One cob of corn yields about 1/2 cup, but I would get ahold of 5 cobs for this recipe just in case. I don't know if "canned grated corn" is the same as creamed corn, but I would use the fresh just in case. There was also some confusion about the cayenne pepper listed in the instructions but not in the ingredients. I used a pinch of both black and cayenne pepper. This is a keeper, with the right amount of salt next time!!

Corn Oysters

2 c. grated fresh corn (or canned grated corn)
2 eggs, separated
2 T flour
1 T butter, melted
1/2 t. salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
corn oil for frying

1. Mix in flour, egg yolks, salt, peppers, and butter together in a small bowl.
2. Beat the egg whites stiffly and fold into mixture.

3. Drop spoonfuls to look like fried oysters into hot oil. Don't fill pan too full.
4. Cook until browned, flip oysters and cook until other side is browned.
5. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Eat while warm. Makes about 20 oysters.

Tennessee-Style Fried Corn

After boiling up some corn yesterday I had a couple of ears leftover. So, I thought I would try this variation on a family favorite "Corn and Bacon". My family recipe uses small pieces of corn and fries it up with the corn. My grandmother added onions and bell peppers. This recipe has some milk added to it, and just salt and pepper as seasoning. I liked this recipe, but I ended up overcooking the corn and couldn't eat all of it. Next time I would use a bit more milk, and not cook it so long once the milk is added.

Tennessee-Style Fried Corn

6 ears of fresh corn
4 slices of bacon
1/2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
pinch sugar

1. With a sharp knife, cut corn kernels from cob. Also scrape pulp out with back of knife. Set aside.
2. Cut bacon slices in half. Fry in heavy iron skillet until crisp. Drain on paper toweling.
3. Discard all but 4 Tablespoons bacon fat. Add corn. Cook, without stirring, until bottom is browned (lift corn from the side with a spatula to check).
4. When well-browned, add milk and seasonings, stirring until well combined. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes longer. Arrange bacon over the top and serve. Serves 4.

Corn Chowder

I had some leftover canned corn from the last recipe I tried, so I looked for a recipe in my files that would use it up. Being unemployed, I really understand the need for thriftiness. This is a recipe that was originally from the Watkins company, I think they did spices back in the 1940s.

I halved the recipe, which was good because this was the exact amount that fit in my retro chrome blender. I blended this only for a little bit on low so it didn't overflow the blender container, this also enabled the potatoes and corn to still be a but chunky. I also used some heavy cream plus the leftover chicken broth from my last recipe instead of milk. This old recipe called for the milk to be scalded, which was done to kill bacteria and change the nature of the milk. Now we pasteurize milk, so I just heated it through. Be careful not to let it boil over or burn while heating. Two potatoes ended up being 2 cups diced. Because I like the onion flavor, but don't like to eat the actual onions, I think the next time I make this I will grate the onion and mix with the butter before I melt it. Half of the recipe made 3 servings. Since the soup bowl looked naked, I garnished the soup with a sprig of rosemary for the picture!!

P.S. How funny, I just re-read this recipe and it never says to use a blender!! I wonder if the word "blend" was meant to mean stir all ingredients together ...

Update: I made this recipe again and it wasn't as good. I don't know if it was due to the fact that I substituted some canned "new potatoes" instead of using regular potatoes. Or, if it was due to the fact that I quartered the onions and added more butter while I cooked them, straining them out when I added the butter to the soup. The seasoning was off, I had to add more salt and pepper.

Corn Chowder

2 c. canned corn
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pint diced raw peeled potatoes
2 T butter
1/4 t. salt
2 pints milk, scald
1 cup boiling water
pepper
celery salt

1. Cook onion in one half of butter to light brown and drain.
2. Boil potatoes until tender and drain.
3. Blend all ingredients, add seasoning to taste.
4. If a thicker soup is desired, blend 2 tablespoons of flour with a little bit of cold milk and stir into soup 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.