There’s nothing quite like pairing up wild-caught seafood with farm-fresh corn during summer. This veggie fave is plentiful, colorful and versatile in seafood recipes, adding a dimension of sweetness to a variety of savory dishes, whether you’re making something classic or feeling a little more innovative in the kitchen.
For the best corn and seafood combo, you’ll want to cook with both while they’re at the peak of freshness. Like wild-caught seafood, farm-fresh corn has the best texture and flavor when it’s just been harvested; from then on, it’s sugars begin to convert to starch the longer you wait to cook it, so you’ll want to freeze it promptly if you aren’t planning on using it immediately in order to halt this process and preserve it in its sweetest state.
Here are 8 wild-caught seafood and corn recipes you can make with your summer harvest:
Grilled Halibut in Corn Husks with Grilled Corn-Jalapeno Salsa
Put fresh corn husks to clever use with this recipe from Chris Rochelle, which turns the husks into little packets for halibut fillets. Nestled into the husks, the fish is much easier to grill and will stay a little more tender as it cooks; this extra barrier will come in handy as halibut is notoriously easy to overcook. When done perfectly, though, it is incredibly meaty and luscious in texture. The grilled halibut is topped off with a sweet, spicy, and smoky corn-jalapeno salsa.
Halibut en Papillote with Corn, Mushrooms and Compound Butter
Food & Wine’s more delicate yet decadent version of halibut with corn cooks it in a foil packet with a homemade compound butter, loaded with summer herbs. As the halibut and corn steam through, the butter gently bastes everything within the foil, infusing each morsel with herbaceous flavor. This recipe uses tarragon and chives, but other tender green herbs like dill, parsley, and even mint or cilantro can be used if that’s what you have on hand.
Chilled Corn Soup with Seared Scallops and Crispy Onions
This recipe from Sunset is all about contrasts. Cold soup on a hot day? Yes, please. And there’s the caramelized onions and toasty cumin-infused oil, set against the sweet backdrop of corn and scallops; weathervane scallops from Alaska are especially sweet. Oh, and there’s also the textural contrast embodied by the pan-seared scallops themselves: Succulent on the inside, yet crusty and golden on the outside.
Red Curry Spot Prawn Chowder
If cold soup isn’t your thing, this red curry corn and shrimp chowder from Rachel Ray In Season might be more up your alley. It’s got sweetness, creaminess, and heat, with a Thai-inspired flavor profile that’ll make you sweat, but in a tropical way. Make it with spot prawns and a quart of homemade spot prawn stock to give this chowder a lobster-like richness. Pro tip: Substitute coconut oil for butter, if you want to make this chowder dairy-free.
Wild-Caught Seafood Boil
For your next outdoor gathering, fill up your biggest pot with a summer’s bounty of corn on the cob, along with your wild-caught shellfish faves and simmer up a proper seafood boil. It’s ridiculously easy to prepare, as long as you know how to master the cook time of your boil components. Follow along with our own no-recipe recipe for a seafood boil.
Corn Flan with Cold-Smoked Salmon Garnish
When you’re feeling fancy, check out this recipe adapted from the Food Network for a corn flan, served with a cold-smoked salmon and chive garnish. This sweet, savory, and silky flan, presented in egg cups, would be a great addition to a brunch spread or enjoyed as a cocktail snack under the stars.
One-Pot Spiced Cod and Corn
The interplay between sweet corn, mild cod and an Indian-inspired spice blend in this recipe from Bon Appetit creates a full-flavored, one-pot meal in under 20 minutes. Enjoy it on its own, or serve it with naan so that you can soak up the delicious sauce that you’ve created.
