Never Discard Your Parmigiano Rind – It's an Excellent Stock Cube – Recipe
Parmesan rinds represent the ultimate sustainable kitchen trick – acting as a savory flavor bomb, they enhance stews, sauces and various dishes, adding incredible taste in the form of savory richness and creamy texture. Kept in the fridge or icebox, they keep almost indefinitely. This week’s recipe incorporates them in a budget-friendly, creamy corn orzo that transforms a few simple ingredients into comforting autumn fare.
Corn and Orzo Delight
This dish was a happy accident, and had everyone asking for seconds. I was planning a traditional tomato pasta to finish the remaining portion in the cupboard left over from making a cold pasta dish, but desired a dish fitting the season. Fresh corn cobs are one of autumn’s fleeting treats, similar to asparagus in seasonality, and during their brief season I eat them weekly. In the spirit of this column, I believed it would be good to use the whole cob – not just the sweet kernels, but also the thick, tasty residue and the used cores. That extra flavour, combined with a cheese crust, onion, butter and a splash of cream or water, transforms a single cob into a hearty and deeply satisfying dish for two.
Feeds two people well
- One ear of sweet corn
- 50 grams of butter
- One medium-sized onion, skinned and diced
- Two cloves of garlic, skinned and coarsely cut
- 250 grams of orzo pasta
- 40-50g parmesan rind – shred and save leftover cheese
- 100ml double cream, optional
- Salt and black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
To get the most flavour from your corn cob, place it upright, cut off the kernels in long strips, then break up the cobs by hand. Next, 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, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil, put a lid on and allow to simmer slowly.
Melt the butter in a second large pan on a moderate flame. Put in the onion and garlic, cook gently, mixing, for about five minutes, until soft, then include the corn and pasta, and saute for three minutes. Introduce the cheese rind, double cream, if using, and the saved corn residue, bring to a simmer and simmer for two minutes, stirring to make sure the mix doesn’t catch and burn.
Drain the warm corn broth into the pasta pot, heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes, until the pasta is firm to the bite and the combination is smooth and fluid; include more water if needed. Season to taste, and serve garnished with extra butter and a dusting of the reserved grated parmesan.
