Maque Choux (A Louisiana Corn Dish)
When it comes to putting up food for the winter so far my favorite storage system has involved wearing a larger pant size. Yet I realize that other methods such as canning and freezing are a bit more accepted (and don’t require marathon gym sessions in the Spring). So for the past few years, I have contemplated canning. This is a feeling much like standing at the edge of a diving board, knowing that sooner or later you’re going to have to jump because the kids behind you are starting line up and get annoyed. You shuffle your toes back and forth on the edge of the board and decide to give it a tentative bounce- just enough to see if it works but not enough to go anywhere.
When I saw this recipe for maque choux over at Going Country (the blog of Slippery Slope fame), I decided it was the perfect way to bounce the board. Now, wait a minute you say- there is no canning involved in this recipe. None at all! Yes, I know, but the recipe does put up food for the winter and it does use seasonal produce so it is approaching canning, right? Oh for goodness sake, “Jump already!” Umm…maybe next year.
If you are looking for a way to savor an abundance of corn and peppers when the winter nights are dark and deep, maque choux is a great way to do it. Simmering corn, tomatoes, peppers, and onions in a spicy buttery broth is a very good idea. Pronounced “mock shoe” maque choux is a traditional Louisiana side dish that freezes beautifully and can be pulled out months later to accompany mashed potatoes, chicken, or a winter roast.
For the recipe, I’m going to send you over to Kirstin’s place where she also shares a brilliant way to remove corn from the cob without making a gigantic mess of your kitchen. As corn milk dripped down my face I was wishing I had followed her advice!
P.S. The name maque choux totally reminds me of a corny (sorry) scene from the movie Robin hood Men in Tights which goes like this: Robin- “This is my friend Ahchoo.” Little John- “God bless you.” Ahchoo- “That’s my name man!”
TheKitchenWitch said..
Ooooh, I love this stuff! I could literally just eat a big bowl of it and call it dinner. I deviate from the real deal by putting jalapenos in mine. Delicious!
August 31, 2009 @ 10:59 am
Kristin @ Going Country said..
Okay, your first sentence? HAAAAA!!!! And also, so sadly true for me.
Also, will you just take all my photos for me from now on? I took a couple when I was making this, thinking I would post them with the recipe. The fact that there are no photos with the recipe should give you some idea of the quality of the photos. How do you do that? Other than using a non-busted camera on which you can actually see what you're taking pictures of, I mean.
August 31, 2009 @ 2:46 pm
tastyeatsathome said..
Yummy. I love this dish, and yours looks great.
August 31, 2009 @ 3:27 pm
unconfidentialcook said..
I've never had this…but sure want to. It looks so comforting and yummy. Yes, your photos are absolutely beautiful, always!
August 31, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
Charles G Thompson said..
I love when I learn new things from other bloggers. Never heard of this. It looks and sounds quite interesting. I'll have to give it a try and maybe 'put some up' for the winter. I did recieve a big canning pot/kit today. We'll see if I jump off the diving board or not!
September 1, 2009 @ 1:07 am
Kristin @ Going Country said..
Charles–I wouldn't can this with a water bath canner if that's what you got. It's not actually recommended for canning at all, I don't think, though you might be able to get away with it if you pressure canned it long enough. But it's definitely NOT acidic enough to be safe for water bath canning.
Start with tomatoes or jam. Way easy, and less nerve wracking.
September 1, 2009 @ 6:59 am
Phoo-D said..
TKW- I had to exercise serious restraint to keep from eating big bowls of this and reverting to my favorite storage system…!
GoingCountry- Aww, thanks! Having a non-busted camera does help…=) I've been practicing a ton and reading everything I can get my hands on about food photography. I also just upgraded to a SLR camera that I'm trying to now figure out. (It's going to take a while!)
TastyEats- Thank you!
Catherine- I had never heard of it either and now I see why it is a tradition- it's delicious!
Charles- This would be a good warm up before using your canning kit! It's a great way to save corn and have a ready-to-go side dish in the freezer.
Kristin- Thanks for the comment- this is definitely a freezer recipe! Tomatoes are really tempting me to can…next year
September 1, 2009 @ 9:30 am
Phoo-d » Sweet Corn and Crab Chowder with Ham said..
[...] One of the benefits of living in the Midwest is that from July through September you can find corn on almost every street corner. Pickup trucks pulled along the side of the road advertise “1 Dozen Ears – $5″. If you stop you will surely be offered a taste of the sweetest corn summer has to offer. Each year we look forward to eating our weight in gold kernels, enjoying corn simply steamed, grilled with lime juice, and even putting some up for the winter in the form of maque choux. [...]
September 21, 2010 @ 5:51 pm