Sweet Corn Gratin
Introduction
Corn with tarragon and lime zest is a winner. Adding softened, sweet-tasting vegetables such as red onion and yellow pepper turns the combo into a delicious vegetable dish that happily goes with just about anything. Think poached eggs and baked mushrooms with a green salad, or a roast chicken with a creamy gratin of potatoes and green beans, or, for brunch, slow-roasted tomatoes and skinny breakfast sausages.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
3 sweet corn
1 large yellow pepper (bell pepper / capsicum)
30g (about 2 Tbsp) butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 tsp dried tarragon
½ tsp ground cumin
1 medium-sized red onion, peeled and finely chopped
Finely grated zest 1 lime
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup panko crumbs
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
Smoked paprika, optional
Method
1 Remove the husks and silks from the sweet corn. Shave the kernels off with a sharp knife. Halve the pepper, remove the cores and seeds, and chop roughly. Put the corn kernels and yellow pepper in a large frying pan (skillet) with the butter, garlic, tarragon, ground cumin and red onion. Cook gently for about 25 minutes, stirring often, especially towards the end of cooking. Everything should be tender, and the vegetables just starting to caramelise. 
2 Stir in the lime zest, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to an ovenproof gratin dish. The dish can be prepared to this point several hours in advance; cover and keep it cool, then bring it to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.
3 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Sprinkle the gratin with panko crumbs and parmesan. If liked, sieve a little smoked paprika over it. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the gratin is golden on top and bubbling around the edges.