Maybe it’s because it’s naturally sweet; maybe it’s because peak season coincides with the waning days of summer. Whatever the reason might be, just about everyone loves corn — which is a good thing, because this year, the USDA expects a record-high corn production of 13.8 billion bushels (that’s 772.8 billion pounds of kernels, in case you were counting). And trendy restaurants around town are ready, using the vegetable in everything from pasta to ice cream.
COOL AND CREAMY
“Corn was a first ‘wow’ food moment for me,” recalls William Cox, executive sous chef at Daniel Boulud’s casual Upper West Side bistro, Bar Boulud. Cox vividly recalls his Tennessee grandfather, a farmer, taking him out to the field to taste freshly husked raw corn when the chef was just 7 years old. “It’s the harvest timing that makes corn sweet,” Cox says. “Too late, and the sugar just turns to starch.” These days, he makes the most of that sweetness by pureeing kernels for a creamy yet light chilled soupe de maïs ($12), to which he adds a garnish of tomatillo succotash and lime popcorn.
There’s a charcoal grill in the backyard at Nolita newcomer The Musket Room, so chef Matt Lambert can smoke corn on the cob over mesquite embers. “It’s a no brainer to smoke naturally sweet foods — no added sugar is needed,” says Lambert. He uses the smoked kernels, as well as pickled corn, to create a delicate custard ($13), topped off with herbs and truffle shavings.
265 Elizabeth St.; 212-219-0764
CRISPY AND SURPRISING
At the month-old West Village spot Piora, chef Chris Cipollone practices the corn equivalent of nose-to-tail cooking — call it silk-to-cob. For an entree of scallops ($16), he brings in grilled corn, chanterelles and crispy chicken skin, resting it all on an aerated corn puree simmered in a corn-cob stock. The proverbial cherry on top? Popcorn shoots and deep-fried corn silk, which, believe it or not, has a texture and sweet flavor similar to cotton candy.
430 Hudson St.; 212-960-3801
SILKY AND SWEET
“The dishes people most love in restaurants have two elements: a reminder of what Grandma does, and ‘I wish I could do that at home but can’t,’ ” says chef John Fraser of Dovetail on the Upper West Side. And it’s the textural possibilities that excite him most. So for Fraser’s creamy ricotta agnolotti ($26), he includes both corn pudding and 10-second sauteed kernels — softening the skins slightly, while still offering a just-cut sensation. Mingled with sweet blueberries and rich truffles, it’s provocative, to say the least.
103 W. 77th St.; 212-362-3800
DECADENT AND CRUNCHY
“Late summer equals corn and butter,” says Nice Matin pastry chef Steven Amador, “and butter is a variation on cream.” Hence the inspiration for his two-scoop sundae ($8.50), featuring house-made sweet-corn ice cream. It’s served with caramel popcorn, pistachio pralines (even more crunchy caramel!) and shortbread made from semolina and — what else? — cornmeal.
201 W. 79th St.; 212-873-6423