Boston Dish of the Month (Sep 2012) - Corn Dishes

[Dave MP]

Announcing the September 2012 Boston Dish of the Month: Corn Dishes

Link to Voting Thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/865726
Link to Nomination Thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/865004

The goal is to collectively try as many corn dishes as possible during the month of September! So let's start exploring and eating—report back with reviews and photos of the best corn dishes you can find.

[itaunas]

This is late for September and almost definitely not "native corn," but I want to put a plug in for the "presunto and queijo" (ham and cheese) salgado I had at Petiscos in Somerville -- cylindrical with two pointy ends. I enjoy certain salgadinhos with corn, even though its considered a filling, and this was replete with tasty, reasonably crunchy, not too sweet corn. After eating a lot of pretty lousy canned corn and some good fresh corn (not regularly used for fillings) in Brazil, this presumably frozen corn hit the spot. Cheese filling was more of a white sauce and kept the ham/cheese part nice and most. Their coixinha was tasty too -- decent taste to pastry, onion and broth taste to filling, not stringy like prepared chicken in Brazil. However, the coxinha overall was just too big, instead of stringy the chicken breast came apart like sawdust (supermarket chicken texture). Overall better than many I had in Brazil.

[opinionatedchef]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/31984

i found nothing when i googled 'salgado' but found this on CH.

[itaunas]

oc 'salgado' simply means savory, so you can take the diminutive "salgadinho" to mean "savory snack." But its also common to use the normal word particularly in the plural. For instance a homeowner who sells homemade pastries might put a plaque on their house "salgados para festas, xxxx-xxxx." Its more common overall to say a "salgadinho" and this particular one doesn't have any name except "salgadinho de presento e queijo" (or you could say that it looks like a torpedo), but because it was larger I called it a salgado. Some names of common salgadinhos are listed in the thread below, although the reviews are old, and some information is a bit off (yuca is sometimes used in homemade versions, but any commercial coxinha would just use wheat flour) so I should update it. But basically places will use the same coxinha dough to make several styles of salgados, ususally have "esfirra" (a bready baked pastry of middle east origin), quibe, maybe "empadinhas" and fried balls made with yuca or potato dough. Also what I am accustomed to calling a risole (or risolis) many people locally would just call a "pastel" (and the large one a "pastelao"). So its useful to just use the construct "salgadinho de <filling>" like "ham and cheese salgadinho," etc. If you buy mini salgadinhos from Petiscos, they also have one which is corn and cheese which is tasty.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/155470

[jacquelines]

Agreed on the Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija at Toro.

Also, Lone Star Taco Bar's Grilled Street Corn and Tico's Sweet Corn with Bacon, Chiles and Thai Basil

[nathanP]

Toro - it's on the menu as "Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija" but it's really just a souped up version of classic Elote - either way it's beyond delicious.

Lord Hobo - corn arepa with pork belly. Not your usual arepa - actually has huge chunks of corn in it. Served w/ avocado and some type of slaw.

Za - Corn, potato, bacon pizza. Super tasty.

[KRISSY487]

I have to second the "Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija"!

I have been meaning to try Toro for a LONG time and finally went last week and absolutely loved this dish! Definitely messy though so not such a great choice for a 1st/2nd date and DO NOT try cutting the corn off the cob, learned the hard way a couple butter stains later...

[opinionatedchef]

oooh nathan, you might have got me to finally try LH! but i only find an arepa on their web posted brunch menu, Is this it?:
* arepa con huevos … sweet corn pancake, black beans, cheddar, avocado & fried eggs w/ pulled pork or fried plantains – 12 both +2

[KWagle]

The "corn with egg" (coated and fried corn kernels with salted duck egg) at Red Pepper in Framingham is outstanding. I believe this video shows the dish being prepared (the video didn't come from RP.)

http://youtu.be/P6kwkbZYn3o

[beetlebug]

Catalyst had a delicious seared scallop and creamed corn dish. I was a bit hesitant on getting this dish because I like my corn plain. However, I figured that they would do it right and I'm happy I ordered it. The creamed corn was very light and it was more of a light lobster cream broth. It truly brought out the summer essence of corn. The corn played bed to chanterelles , tarragon and 5 perfectly seared scallops.

[opinionatedchef]

i think that his use of tarragon here, and on the lobster tortellini dish you mentioned on another thread ,says alot about the talents of this chef. Imo rosemary is vastly overused and tarragon is underused, and the dish components you described sound perfect for tarragon.

[gourmaniac]

The corn bisque at Sugar Cafe (Roslindale) was revelational. Smooth, silky essence of corn flavor.

[Dave MP]

Do they always have that, or is it a special?

[gourmaniac]

Sorry for the late reply. i was traveling. It's on their regular menu as chilled corn chowder. Corn kernel, scallion, toast point, olive oil. $9. Not sure if that is the entire list of ingredients., but it was amazing.