Shrimp turns creamed corn into a meal

Creamed corn doesn’t need any help.

A perfectly simple dish of just two ingredients — corn and cream — simmered down into something rich, complex and just sweet enough, creamed corn asks for nothing else, not even salt and pepper.

That said, as much as I adore its inherent minimalism, there are times when I cannot resist throwing something else into the pan.

Once, I tried Gorgonzola, and liked what I got. Ever since, a handful of crumbled or grated cheese has become a regular addition when I want something tangy to offset the sweetness of the kernels. Feta, with its briny snap, works especially well since it is both creamy and bracing; a little goes a long way.

This summer, I took my cheesy creamed corn even further, and turned that side dish into a meal by using it as a base for sautéed shrimp.

The combination is an inauthentic take on shrimp and grits. Instead of dried, ground corn, I substituted creamed corn with feta. The fresh corn is lighter than its porridgelike counterpart, and sweeter, too. And the feta vaguely recalls the grated cheddar that’s often added to the grits pot.

Since I was playing fast and loose with the grits part of the equation, I kept the shrimp bit fairly straightforward. I started with a base of onions and peppers cooked down with ripe August tomatoes. Then I added the shrimp, seasoning it all with hot sauce, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Classic flavors, simply wrought.

As always when cooking shrimp, it is worth the effort to seek out excellent quality, preferably wild-caught crustaceans. You want extra-large shrimp; 12-16 to a pound is about right. Then take care not to overcook them. Just after they start turning pink all over, pull the pan off the stove and let the residual heat finish the cooking process. They should be succulent and not at all shriveled.

As soon as the shrimp are done, spoon them onto the creamy corn.

You could certainly stop there. But I didn’t. First, I sprinkled on a handful of crumbled feta, which acts almost like creamy salt, bringing the flavors together. Then I added a heap of fresh basil and cilantro. If either garnish offends you, just leave it off.

Or, try it once my way and then do it your way next time. There is plenty of corn season left this year to make this dish your own.