This corn side dish is quick to make and easy to improvise. The combination shown above uses four of the items that you will almost always find in my kitchen: frozen sweet corn, butter, cumin, and sambal. Sambal is a sauce made from chilies, I believe it comes from Java originally. It is delicious stuff, it can be a bit spicy though.

Frozen or Fresh Sweet Corn with Cumin, Butter, Sambal and Onion

- 2 tsp olive oil

- 1/2 cup white onion, minced

- 2 Tbsp butter

- 1 # frozen sweet corn

- 1 tsp ground cumin, salt and pepper to taste

- 1-2 tsp sambal chili paste (optional)

- tomato paste, molasses, sugar, thyme, parsley, or garlic are also good. But try to keep the additional flavors to a minimum in order to keep the dish tasting somewhat of corn.

Fry the minced onion in the olive oil (or vegetable oil) over medium+ heat until softened and caramelized. Then add the butter and corn and continue cooking over medium heat until the corn is cooked (20-25 minutes). Taste the corn and add a bit of sugar if desired. Adjust the salt and pepper levels. Then stir in the cumin and the sambal, if you are using it. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes before serving.

*Alternate Method. Cook the corn until dark, almost black before adding the spices at the end. Blackened corn is really tasty stuff too.

*Tip. A non-stick pan is easier to clean up, but it may not develop as deep a flavor if you blacken your corn.

Try this recipe with Low and Slow Beef Rib Roast or Broiled Thick-Cut Bone-in Pork Chops.