Making the most of sweetcorn
A beautiful way to enjoy the seasonal crossover
As we savour the last of summer’s corn and welcome the first of autumn’s pumpkin, this dish is a beautiful way to enjoy the crossover of seasons; of nature’s produce and its autumnal tones of orange and yellow amongst constant green.
This dish comes together in a beautiful way - the teriyaki sauce caramelises around the pumpkin as it roasts; the peanut corn cream provides a thick and velvety bed for it to sit on, and the coriander salsa lightens, brightens and brings everything together.
All the colours and layers look pretty on a plate.
You’ll be proud to put this on the table for your family, or the next time you’re hosting a group - not only because of how it looks, but just how good these flavours and textures are together. You can use fresh or frozen corn, which makes this dish great for the transition out of corn season and into pumpkin season; use whatever you can get your hands on.
Roast teriyaki pumpkin with peanut corn cream and coriander salsa
Ingredients
For the teriyaki sauce: ● 100ml soy sauce ● 50g honey
● 25g brown sugar
● 10g peeled fresh ginger (roughly 2-3cm piece, finely chopped)
● 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
● 1 1⁄2 Tbsp cornflour
● 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
For the pumpkin:
● 1/2 pumpkin (650-750g), cut into 6 wedges.
● 2 Tbsp olive oil
● 1⁄2 tsp salt
For the peanut corn cream:
● 1 1⁄2 cups cooked corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
● 1/4 cup peanut butter
● 3 Tbsp lemon juice
● 1 Tbsp olive oil
● 2 cloves garlic
● 5g peeled fresh ginger (roughly 1-2cm piece, finely chopped)
● 1/2 tsp ground coriander
● 3/4 tsp salt
● 1/4 tsp ground chilli
For the coriander salsa:
● 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
● 25g coriander (about 1 cup loosely packed), finely chopped (plus some extra leaves to garnish)
● 2 Tbsp olive oil
● 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
● 2 tsp coriander seeds
● 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
● 1/4 tsp salt
Method
1. Start by making the teriyaki sauce. Add the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and 350ml water to a small saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk the cornflour with 2 Tbsp water until a smooth paste, then add to the saucepan and whisk through.
2. Set over a high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir through the vinegar. Allow to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 180C fan bake. Line a large baking tray with baking paper, and arrange over the pumpkin wedges on their side.
4. In a small bowl, whisk 1⁄4 cup of the teriyaki sauce with the oil and salt to emulsify. Measure out half of this mixture, and evenly spoon it over the pumpkin, spreading to coat.
5. Roast for 25 minutes until nicely golden underneath, then increase the heat to 200C fan bake. Flip the pumpkin wedges over and evenly spoon over the remaining teriyaki mixture. Roast for an additional 20-25 minutes, until well caramelised and soft. Allow to cool slightly.
6. Meanwhile, make the peanut corn cream. Add all ingredients to a food processor along with 2 Tbsp water and a generous season of pepper. Blend until smooth, adding 1-2 Tbsp more water until your desired consistency - it should be similar in thickness to yoghurt. Set aside.
7. To make the salsa, add the coriander seeds to a small dry frying pan. Set over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan often, for 4 minutes until fragrant. Add the chilli flakes and toast for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, shaking the pan often, until the chilli takes on a popcorn-like aroma (be careful not to burn it). Add to a small bowl along with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
8. To assemble, dollop the corn cream onto your serving dish and spread out. Arrange over the roasted pumpkin and evenly spoon over the salsa. Drizzle over a few spoonfuls of teriyaki sauce, and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
■ Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography — in studio or on location — for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation. Go to Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com.