Crisp sweet summer corn and red, ripe cherry tomatoes might seem an unlikely pair, but not so. Sautéed in the rich renderings of bacon plus a touch of butter with slivers of shallots – this is simple country food at its finest.
These two are some of summer’s most spectacular offerings. Corn and tomatoes were always in my Grandparent’s garden, ripened to perfection by the heat of the Texas Panhandle sun. And this celebrates them both in a most delicious way. Start by frying bacon until crisp, leaving the wonderful renderings behind. Toss in butter along with a subtle touch of savory from thinly sliced shallots. Then sauté the tomatoes until they gently collapse followed by those kernels of freshly roasted corn.
If possible, roast the corn while it’s still in the husk. Finding corn in the husk can sometimes be a challenge but it’s worth the hunt. The husk makes the perfect roasting vessel leaving the kernels perfectly sweet.
My Grandmother had a theory that the minute you pulled the husk away from the kernels, the corn started to lose its flavor. Not sure if it’s true but it’s hard to argue with your Grandmother. In a pinch you can wrap the corn in foil and roast. And don’t forget about the bacon you fried for those renderings – crumble it and sprinkle it over the top. Simple country food tastes so wonderful!
Roasted Corn and Tomato Sauté
2 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup thinly sliced shallots or sweet onion
2 cups cherry tomatoes, about 30
2-½ cups roasted corn, about 3 ears of corn, in the husk*
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Fry the bacon until crisp in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool. Melt the butter into the bacon renderings over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Toss in the cherry tomatoes, stirring to coat in the butter and bacon renderings. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir the corn into the tomatoes and shallots along with the kosher salt and black pepper. Raise the heat to medium and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Crumble the bacon and sprinkle over the corn and tomatoes.
Serves 4 to 6.
*For the roasted corn:
Rinse the husk of the corn leaving it intact and trim the silk off the ends. Place the corn in the husk directly on the rack in a 350-degree oven. Roast for 30 minutes. When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the husk and the silk from the kernels. Cut the kernels from the corn – you should have about 2-½ cups.
Roasted Corn and Tomato Sauté
Equipment
- Medium sauté pan
Ingredients
- 2 slices of bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots or sweet onion
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, about 30
- 2-½ cups roasted corn, about 3 ears of corn*
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Fry the bacon until crisp in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool.
- Melt the butter into the bacon renderings over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes
- Toss in the cherry tomatoes, stirring to coat in the butter and bacon renderings. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir the corn into the tomatoes and shallots along with the kosher salt and black pepper. Raise the heat to medium and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Crumble the bacon and sprinkle over the corn and tomatoes.
- *For the roasted corn, rinse the husk of the corn leaving it intact and trim the silk off the ends.
- Place the corn in the husk directly on the rack in a 350-degree oven. Roast for 30 minutes.
- When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the husk and the silk from the kernels.
- Cut the kernels from the corn – you should have about 2-½ cups.
