Macque Choux! Gesundheit!

While I've been trying to get over a nasty chest cold, I still found the energy to utilize fresh Hatch chiles (see Roasted with Love-Hoarded with Passion and The Great Green Chile Quest), this time in Macque Choux! Macque choux, pronounced "mock shoe," is a corn-based side dish traditional to southern Louisiana. The origins of this Cajun specialty are a bit unknown; however, it appears that the dish was embraced by the Acadians (French immigrants from eastern Canada) who, after being moved out by the British, settled in Louisiana and learned it from the local Native Americans. There are a plethora of recipes for macque choux, but all contain corn, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, herbs, spices, and usually some Tasso ham. 

This recipe for "Hatch Chile Macque Choux" is yet again another version I'd never seen before, so I had to try it! It utilizes fresh Hatch chiles (which hopefully you have all ready to go in your freezer), bacon, a little lager, NO tomatoes (gasp!), and enriched with heavy cream. I served it with some seared scallops and a garnish of fresh chives. Very pretty! However, this fiery version (which really helped open my sinuses) really over-powered the delicate flavor of the scallops. Shrimp, crawfish, chicken, and some potatoes can be added to create a "main meal." If you prefer not to use the green chiles, substitute tomatoes for a more authentic dish. Any leftover macque choux makes a welcome addition to cornbread!

Hatch Chile Macque Choux

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

3/4 cup red bell pepper, diced (if using tomatoes instead of green chile, substitute a green bell pepper instead...to keep the colors pretty!)
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup lager

4 cups corn (preferably freshly cut from 3 or 4 ears of corn, see Techniques)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, deseeded, and sliced (optional, can be replaced with diced tomatoes)

Directions:

Saute bacon over medium heat until crisp and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the red bell pepper and onion to the pan. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the lager and deglaze by stirring and scraping all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the lager is nearly evaporated. Add corn, cream, and Tabasco. (If using tomatoes instead of chiles, add them here.) Bring to a simmer and cook until cream is thick enough to leave a trail on the back of a spoon. Add the bacon back in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Hatch chiles, if using.

Recipe courtesy of Central Market.

Hatch, Hatch, Hooray!

Hatch chiles have just hit the market! Yippee! These amazing chiles are only available for a short period of time, so you better run out and get some! Every year I load up, roast and freeze them to hopefully last me all year. See Roasting and Freezing Hatch Chiles. I also make Green Chile Sauce, that I freeze in ice cube trays, which I adore with scrambled eggs. The first meal I make is always my amazing Green Chile Cheeseburgers! Delicious! In fact, I'm making them tonight! I can't wait! Other fabulous recipes from my site that make the most of these addictive chiles are Chiles Rellenos, Green Chile Chicken Lasagna with Goat Cheese, and Hatch Chile Macque Choux. I highly recommend any of those!

However, I have a new recipe for you to try this year! How does "Hatch Chile and Cheddar Corn Pudding" sound? Chiles and cheese - my favorite! It's the perfect side dish with grilled or roasted meats. It would also make a fine meal on it's own with a nice green salad. If you like chiles, you'll love this recipe!

Hatch Chile and Cheddar Corn Pudding

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 large hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, and chopped (See Techniques for more information on how to roast a chile.) (Can subtitute 1, 4oz can of hatch chiles, if necessary.)

4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

3 scallions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups grated cheddar cheese, preferably freshly grated

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puree 3 cups of the corn in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in the remaining 1 cup corn, salt, scallions, chiles, flour, and 1 cup of the cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream until combined. Stir into the corn mixture.

Place butter in a 8" square baking dish (I used a 2 quart souffle dish), and place in oven until butter is melted, about 10 minutes. (Don't let the butter burn!) Pour batter into the hot baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Place a baking sheet on lower rack to catch any drips, and bake until puffed and bubbling and cheese is golden brown, 45-50 minutes. (I had no issues with any drips.) Let cool 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

What "The Old Fart" Can Teach You!!!

How can it be that since I moved north, the summers are even hotter than South Texas? With temperatures consistently clearing triple digits, I am up to my eyeballs with my favorite hot weather food, i.e., Black Bean-Chicken Tostadas with Salsa and Tangy Romaine, Retro Wedge Salad with 1916 Roquefort Dressing, and Schlotzky's "Original" Sandwich, just to name a few. What I really want, which sounds insane, is a nice bowl of soup! Yes, I said soup, even in triple digits!!!

Luckily, My local grocer just started receiving Colorado corn! I don't know what it is about Colorado corn, but I swear it is the best I've ever tasted! Maybe it's the fresh mountain air, or perhaps nostalgia for the beautiful state of Colorado? Either way, it makes the most delicious "Corn Soup with Coriander!" You may think that this sweet, spicy, and exceedingly fresh tasting soup is from my Texas heritage, but it's not! It's Canadian, specifically, from a relic Canadian magazine called The Old Fart! Lucky for me, Laura Calder included this recipe in her newest cookbook! She recommends serving it as a starter, followed by steak, salad, and summer pudding; however, it's HOT, just give me a bowl and an ice cold cerveza, and I'm perfect!

Corn Soup with Coriander

Serves 8

Ingredients:

6 ears of corn

3 tablespoons butter

2 large onions, minced

2 small red peppers, chopped

1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes, or to taste

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk or light cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Leaves from a bunch of coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

Directions:

Shuck the corn, and with a small knife shave the kernels from the cobs. (Click my "Techniques" tab for tips on removing corn from the cob.) Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat, and saute the onions until translucent. Add the corn, red peppers, and chili flakes and saute for 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno, tomatoes, and chicken stock; simmer for 15 minutes. Add the milk and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped coriander, and serve. Pretty easy, eh?

Recipe adapted from Dinner Chez Moi: The Fine Art of Feeding Friends, by Laura Calder.