Charred Corn Polenta with Gorgonzola

Fresh corn on the cob is one of my favorite treats from Summer’s bounty. As a kid, we always ate it with little cob holders on the side, corn dripping with butter and salt. Over the years, I’ve discovered other ways of cooking it. One of my easiest and most nutritious methods is simply shucking the corn and removing any remaining silk, wrapping the ears in plastic wrap, and microwaving on high for 2-3 minutes. You simply remove the plastic wrap (once cooled a bit) and bite away. If the corn is sweet enough, I find it doesn’t even need butter and salt. But I also like to grill corn, in the shuck and out of it. The latest batch I decided to grill, and unfortunately, I was disappointed with the result. The corn wasn’t sweet at all. Instead of just coating the sad kernels with butter, I wanted to try something different. I love polenta–and I knew that fresh corn always makes a great addition to corn bread. So I thought, I’ll mix the charred corn in polenta. And to make up for the lack of sweetness, I’ll add some savory goodness. I had gorgonzola, so that went in. The result was wonderful. Topped with some freshly sliced scallions for bite, the sad corn managed to redeem itself back to greatness.

I cut the kernels from the cob and set aside. I minced a shallot and cooked it in butter in a saucepan, over medium heat. Once the shallot was transclucent, I added the chicken stock and slowly whisked in the polenta. The longer you cook this mixture, the more chicken stock you’ll need to add. It all depends on taste and how thick/runny you like your polenta.

Once the consistency I was looking for was achieved, I added the charred corn and gorgonzola. I also threw in some salt and pepper, but make sure you don’t over-salt since there’s salt in the chicken stock and cheese. Heat through and serve.