Grill/Barbecue

Maque Choux - A Creole Corn Side Dish

by:
August 15, 2010
4
2 Ratings
Maque Choux - A Creole Corn Side Dish
Photo by June Jacobs
  • Serves 8 (or more)
Author Notes

I’m convinced this delicious Creole side dish is the ultimate accompaniment to grilled food. A friend from New Orleans, Melvina Johnson, used to bring it to ALL our summer barbecues. We really let her have it if she dared to bring anything different.
I found drbabs' adaptation interesting, because as far as I know, Maque Choux was never intended to be anything but a side! - ChefJune —ChefJune

Test Kitchen Notes

ChefJune's Maque Choux was quite delicious. When I read the recipe, I thought it would be more like the dish I remembered if I added bacon, so (with ChefJune's permission) I sauteed about 1/4 pound of bacon (cut in lardons) in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to start. The bacon added a sweet smokiness that was just addictive. In order to turn it into a main dish, I cooked some jumbo shrimp in the stew at the end, and served it with some good bread to sop up the liquid. As ChefJune said, this would also be great as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak. It was a lovely meal — easy for a weeknight, and perfect for late summer. I'm happy to recommend it as an Editors' Pick. - drbabs —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter or 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 small hot pepper, finely chopped (add more if you're so inclined)
  • 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 cups corn kernels (preferably fresh corn, cut from the cob -- about 4 ears or 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 2 pinches red pepper flakes
  • 2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock (low sodium, if you use canned - we use homemade)
Directions
  1. Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
  2. Stir in corn, tomatoes, pepper flakes and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Pour in stock. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover partially and cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 45 minutes.) Stir occasionally.
  4. Teacher's Tip: If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, I suggest substituting vegetable broth for the chicken stock.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • krikri
    krikri
  • Megan
    Megan
  • Bevi
    Bevi
  • drbabs
    drbabs
  • ChefJune
    ChefJune
ChefJune
30+ years a chef, educator, writer, consultant, "winie," travel guide/coordinator

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13 Reviews

krikri
krikri September 9, 2016
Delicious and easy.
 
Megan
Megan June 30, 2014
My husband is working on perfecting his bbq smoking skills- which means we have been eating a lot of smoked pork shoulder the past couple of summers! I was tired of our usual sides and decided to try this based on a discussion on the hotline and it was WONDERFUL. Stole the show at the bbq. I did use bacon as Dr. Babs had (but no shrimp)- and it was truly addictive!
 
Bevi
Bevi April 26, 2011
Shrimp and corn and tomatoes? Yes, please!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen July 22, 2011
I would serve this as a main course!
 
ChefJune
ChefJune July 22, 2011
Sagegreen: I never have, but as you can see, DrBabs deftly turned it into a main. And I'm sure it ROCKED! Maque Choux always does. ;)
 
drbabs
drbabs August 27, 2010
1 word...YUM...I made this for dinner tonight--I steamed jumbo shrimp on top of the stew at the end. Fabulous.
 
drbabs
drbabs August 27, 2010
(I added a photo.)
 
ChefJune
ChefJune August 27, 2010
so our recipes have been co-opted in favor of chefs selected by Merrill and Amanda? why didn't you say that in the beginning?

 
drbabs
drbabs August 27, 2010
They did. Check this out:
http://www.food52.com/blog/1052_this_weeks_special_contest_theme
 
ChefJune
ChefJune August 27, 2010
ooops I missed that. Thanks, Dr. Babs.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune August 26, 2010
No, I've never made this with bacon, but now that you mention it, I'm wondering why not! It would be an amazing flavor enhancer. ;) Think I'll have to do that for Labor Day Weekend. Let me know how you like it with bacon.
 
drbabs
drbabs August 26, 2010
Hi ChefJune!
I'm testing this for Editors' Pick this week. I LOVE Maque Choux! Have you ever made it with bacon? (Do you mind if I do?) Thanks.
 
aargersi
aargersi August 15, 2010
This is one of the first things I hunt down at Jazz Fest, right after the crawfish sacks. Yum!!