Simple succotash

By Sagegreen • August 16, 2010 • 8 Comments

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Simple succotash — 1 of 4 Photo by William Brinson

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Author Notes: One of my favorite classic recipes with corn from my childhood is succotash with baby lima beans. My grandmother made succotash with sour cream instead of heavy cream. Here I have suggested crème fraîche in place of heavy cream for a slightly thicker, creamier rendition with edamame, since they are so readily available fresh in the summer. You could combine half crème fraîche with half sour cream for a balance of sweet and tangy. Fresh baby lima beans and corn take almost no time at all to cook up, but maybe the grown up lima beans will take a bit longer. Two photos by William Brinson uploaded, courtesy of Food52. - Sagegreen

Serves 2-4

5 cups water
pinch of kosher salt
1 cup fresh edamame soy beans or baby lima beans
2 cups corn kernels, cut off the cob (@4 smallish ears, silver queen or shoepeg preferred)
1 tablespoon butter, to taste
1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream/Greek yogurt (fage) for a twist, or a mix
dash of white pepper
pinch of artisan salt
2 teaspoons fresh dill, snipped
2 teaspoons rolled and snipped fresh mint, as an alternative herb

Bring the water with a pinch of salt to a boil . Add the fresh edamame or lima beans and cook for 4 minutes. Add the raw corn kernels and cook for 2 minutes more or until all vegetables are tender and not mushy. Drain most all of the water, saving about two tablespoons with the vegetables.
While the vegetables are still hot, add the butter and crème fraîche for the traditional style (or consider using sour cream or fage for a much tangier version, or a mix with some crème fraîche). Stir over low heat and gently warm. Adjust seasoning with your favorite artisan salt and pepper.
Add fresh dill or mint and serve warm.