Recipe Corn Maque Choux

ElizabethB

ElizabethB

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An imitation of Corn Maque Choux (mock shoe) is served as a side in numerous restaurants in the south. It is made with frozen or canned corn. It is just OK. I understand why it is not served in restaurants, corn is seasonal and the process is labor intensive. I am kicking myself for not taking a photo prior to freezing most and using some in other dishes.
The key to traditional Corn Maque Choux is more about the process than the ingredients. The fresh, cleaned corn is sliced twice then MILKED.

INGREDIENTS

1 dozen ears sweet corn
EVOO
2 cups small dice onions
1 cup small dice celery
1 cup small dice bell pepper - any color
1 cup small dice red bell pepper - reserved
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes - drained
1 pint heavy cream
salt
Benoit's Best salt free seasoning mix. I am not a fan of seasoning mixes. Benoit's is the exception.

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METHOD

Shuck the corn and remove the silk.
Gently brush the ears to remove more silk.
You will need a rounded butter knife or other rounded tool to remove the last pieces of silk and shuck that was not removed with the brush. Be careful not to pierce the kernels.
Your knife needs to be very sharp. You will also want a strop or steel at hand to touch up the edge as you work.
1st. cut. Make a thin slice across the tops of the kernels. Do not cut more than 1/2 through the kernels.
2nd. cut. Cut against but not into the cob
MILK the corn by scraping the cob with the blade of your knife.
Unfortunately my corn was not as milky as I like.

In a heavy dutch oven heat 1/2 cup EVOO
Add the onions and celery. Cook low and slow until veggies are softened.
Add 1/4 cup EVOO.
When oil is hot add corn, corn milk and bell pepper. Stir well to combine with onions and celery. Add diced tomatoes, stir to combine.
Continue cooking low and slow stirring frequently to keep the corn from sticking. Cook for 30 - 45 minutes. Add cream and reserved red peppers. Season to taste with salt and Benoit's Best. If you want a hint of smoke add Smoked Paprika to taste. Continue cooking and stirring for another 15 minutes.

Vacuum seal and freeze.

Maque Choux is not just a lovely side. It can be used in numerous dishes or as a base for corn and crab soup,
 
Milking corn? This is a new thing to me - and such precise instructions on how to cut the kernels. My life has now become more difficult as I realise I'm a corn novice and (as I write) I have to judge a challenge with more entries than I ever expected.

I would love to taste this dish ElizabethB.
 
I've seen Jacques Pepin use that technique on corn, slicing the kernels open first to help release the milk.

My mom, whenever she'd make a soup or something with fresh corn, she'd scrape and scrape the cob, and for good measure, cook the cobs along with the soup for a bit, like you might do a bay leaf.
 
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I love maque choux. We make a much simpler one with corn and mirliton, but I bet this one is delish!

Good creamed corn always uses the "milk" of the corn.
 
TastyReuben said:
My only experience with the word Choux is Choux pastry. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Click to expand...

Pantanelli, the head chef of Catherine de Medici of Florence, invented choux pastry after moving to France in 1540. That pastry named after him was, essentially, a hot dried paste with which he made gateaux and pastries which spread across France. Its irregular shape after baking earned it the name ‘choux’ (French for cabbage). Further refinement and perfection were introduced in the 19th Century by Antoine Careme.
 
Morning Glory said:
Pantanelli, the head chef of Catherine de Medici of Florence, invented choux pastry after moving to France in 1540. That pastry named after him was, essentially, a hot dried paste with which he made gateaux and pastries which spread across France. Its irregular shape after baking earned it the name ‘choux’ (French for cabbage). Further refinement and perfection were introduced in the 19th Century by Antoine Careme.
Click to expand...
The first time I heard about it, it was at a cooking demo, and I kept hearing "shoe pastry," and the person didn't make any mention of it being French or pointing out how it was spelled, so sat there the whole time thinking, "Where's the shoe bit come in? Why is it called shoe pastry?" :laugh:
 
From Wiki

Maque choux /ˈmɑːkʃuː/ is a traditional Cajun dish of Louisiana. It is thought to be an amalgam of Creole and American Indian cultural influence, and the name is likely to derive from the French interpretation of the Native American name.

From https://www.neworleansbar.org/uploads/files/Corn Maque Choux 7_19_17.pdf

The man responsible for unearthing this word origin mystery was Dr. William Alexander Read (1869 –1962), renowned etymologist and longtime head of the English Department at LSU.Through his long and distinguished career, Dr. Read uncovered numerous examples of words and place names that were thought to be French in origin but were actually reconstructedIndian words or phrases, made to sound French
 
medtran49 said:
From Wiki

Maque choux /ˈmɑːkʃuː/ is a traditional Cajun dish of Louisiana. It is thought to be an amalgam of Creole and American Indian cultural influence, and the name is likely to derive from the French interpretation of the Native American name.

From https://www.neworleansbar.org/uploads/files/Corn Maque Choux 7_19_17.pdf

The man responsible for unearthing this word origin mystery was Dr. William Alexander Read (1869 –1962), renowned etymologist and longtime head of the English Department at LSU.Through his long and distinguished career, Dr. Read uncovered numerous examples of words and place names that were thought to be French in origin but were actually reconstructedIndian words or phrases, made to sound French
Click to expand...
Thank you for the research. I knew the dish was an amalgamation of creole/Cajun and Native American.
 
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