A Corn Fricassée is the perfect summer side dish when sweetcorn is in abundance and you're looking for something seasonal to serve with meat, fish, or just a poached egg! You can whip up this summer corn fricassee in minutes, and there are plenty of ways to adapt it, too.
I've gone through a few variations and serving suggestions below, but it works wonderfully as a 'base' dish for plating purposes. Simply top it with your chosen protein and a garnish, and you have an elegantly presented dish that takes zero effort.
What is a fricassée?
Fricassée is a French culinary term that traditionally refers to meat with a sauce made from a roux base and stock. A chicken fricassee would be the most common dish. I like to make vegetable versions as they serve several purposes. They add vegetables to a dish (obviously) but also visual interest, texture, and sauce. When I am private cheffing, I will often make vegetable fricassees (like my spring vegetable fricassee) as a base on a plate, and top it with grilled meat or fish. They are easy, fast, and delicious. And you can use whatever is in season! Here is my summer corn fricassee recipe.
Ingredient notes
Sweetcorn or corn on the cob is the star of the show here. If you have access to freshly picked corn on the cob, you have hit the flavor jackpot. As soon as sweetcorn is picked, the natural sugars in it turn to starch, and it loses sweetness over time. So, for the best-tasting corn, pick it and cook it immediately. This photo above shows the corn we grow at home, covered by a net to protect it from the squirrels (who LOVE it).
I also include chorizo in this recipe as it works so well with corn, but you can leave it out if you prefer. I use the smoky chorizo rather than the spicy variety, but again, this is your choice. I prefer shallots to onions as they have a milder taste, but you can use either.
You will need a very small amount of flour to make the roux, which can be plain/all-purpose flour, cornflour, or any gluten-free flour. It just thickens the sauce slightly. You can leave it out, but the corn fricassee will be looser.
Little gem lettuce is lovely stirred through at the last minute to give a bit of texture. Then we use some crème fraîche at the end to make it a bit creamy. You won't need much, so use the rest of the pot to make my creamy flageolet beans recipe. You can also use sour cream.
There's a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post with quantities and step-by-step directions for how to make corn fricassee.
Make the quick corn fricassee
- Melt butter in a frying pan and add small cubes of chorizo. Fry for a couple of minutes, then add finely diced shallot and garlic.
- Stir in the flour very quickly to make a paste (the roux) with the chorizo fat.
- Slowly add the stock while stirring to form the sauce, which will thicken. Then stir in the corn and Little Gem lettuce. Bring it up to a simmering point to cook out the flour.
- Stir through some lemon juice, and a dollop of crème fraîche. Bring it up to temperature and serve garnished with tomatoes and fresh basil.
Variations & Tips
- Add some spice - with fresh or dried chili or cayenne pepper
- Try different herbs like dill for a different flavor profile
- Use peas instead of sweetcorn and pancetta instead of chorizo
- Add meat stock for meat dishes, fish for fish dishes, etc etc.
How to serve corn fricassee
Spread a large spoonful of the corn onto a warm plate and top with some sliced protein, for example:
- Walnut & Panko Chicken
- Lamb Rump Roast
- Honey Duck Breast
- Pan-Seared Salmon
- Pan-Seared Seabass
Try some of these garnish ideas on top to add even more flavor and texture.
Wine Pairing
The sweetness of the corn needs a soft and fruity red, in my opinion. Try a light Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais.
What if I have leftovers?
Store leftover corn fricassee in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 2-3 days. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. I like to serve leftovers with a poached egg on top for brunch, or you can even stir them through some cooked pasta.
Can I freeze it?
The Little Gem will go mushy upon defrosting, so I would avoid freezing this recipe. It is so quick and easy, there is no need to make it in advance!
Useful equipment
I use a good non-stick pan for this fricassee. It makes life easy! And that's all you need; it is a very low-maintenance side dish.
🙏🏻 If you try this recipe...
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear how it went! Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well. Your feedback helps other readers and is greatly appreciated.
📖 Recipe
Summer Corn Fricassée
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
- 75 grams (2½ oz) Spanish chorizo (dry-cured) around 6 inches long
- 1 shallot
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon flour all-purpose/cornflour/gluten-free
- 100 ml (½ cup) stock meat, fish, or vegetable
- 250 grams (8 oz) sweet corn kernels fresh tinned, or frozen
- 2 Little Gem lettuce /Romaine hearts
- 3 tablespoon creme fraiche
- ½ lemon juice
- 5-10 basil leaves
- 10 cherry or baby plum tomatoes
- salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chorizo into small cubes about the same size as corn kernels. Finely dice the shallot and garlic and shred the lettuce.
- Heat butter in a frying pan. Fry the chorizo for a couple of minutes, then add the shallot and garlic until translucent.
- Add the flour and stir it into the fat in the pan to make a paste (the roux).
- Slowly add the stock while stirring to thin out the paste into a sauce. Let it simmer and bubble for a minute to cook out the flour as it thickens.
- Stir through the sweetcorn and shredded lettuce and bring it up to temperature.
- Stir through the créme fraiche and bring it up to temperature. Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Serve garnished with summer tomatoes and fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
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