Never Throw Away Your Parmigiano Crust – It's an Excellent Stock Cube – Recipe
The hard ends of Parmesan cheese represent the best zero-waste hack – acting as a savory flavor bomb, they enrich stews, gravies and various dishes, providing pure deliciousness in the form of umami depth and creamy texture. Stored in the refrigerator or freezer, they keep almost indefinitely. This week’s recipe uses them in a thrifty, rich corn and pasta dish that transforms a handful of basic items into comforting autumn fare.
Creamed Corn Orzo
The meal came about by chance, and left me and my family drooling for more. I was planning a classic tomato orzo to finish the remaining portion in the pantry left over from making a pasta salad, but wanted something more seasonal. Sweet corn on the cob are one of fall's short-lived pleasures, similar to asparagus in seasonality, and while they are available I eat them weekly. In the spirit of this column, I believed it would be good to utilize the entire corn – not only the juicy seeds, but also the thick, tasty residue and the used cores. The additional taste, paired with a parmesan rind, shallot, dairy spread and a splash of cream or water, transforms a one ear of corn into a generous and very fulfilling meal for two people.
Feeds two people well
- 1 fresh corn cob
- 50 grams of butter
- 1 medium onion, skinned and diced
- Two cloves of garlic, skinned and coarsely cut
- 250g orzo
- 40 to 50 grams of Parmesan crust – shred and save leftover cheese
- 100 milliliters of heavy cream, if desired
- Sea salt and ground pepper
- High-quality olive oil, to finish
To get the most flavour from your corn cob, place it upright, slice off the kernels lengthwise, then separate the cobs manually. After that, with a spoon, swiftly remove the thick, creamy residue from the cobs into a container. Put the spent cobs in a pan with 750 milliliters of water, heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, put a lid on and leave to cook on a low heat.
Heat the butter in a second large pan on a moderate flame. Put in the onion and garlic, sauté softly, stirring, for about five minutes, until tender, then include the corn and pasta, and cook for three more minutes. Introduce the cheese rind, heavy cream, if preferred, and the saved corn residue, heat until bubbling and simmer for two minutes, mixing to prevent sticking or burning.
Drain the warm corn broth into the pasta pot, bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle boil and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes, until the pasta is firm to the bite and the mixture is loose and creamy; add a little extra water to loosen. Season to taste, and serve garnished with extra butter and a dusting of the saved shredded cheese.
