Mexican Truffles. Corn Truffles. Corn Smut. Raven Scat. Ustilago maydisgets more unappetizing the further one goes down its list of names. The Aztecs called it huitlacoche. The Mexicans call it a delicacy.
Corn smut is a fungus that grows on young maize. When the corn is in silk kernels become infected. They swell to golf-ball size galls and discolor. Loaded with soluble fiber, the amino acid lysine and the antioxidant anthocyanin, the moist young galls are collected two or three weeks after the corn becomes infected. If not harvested the galls will grow hard and spore-filled looking a smutty dark blue or black. The flavor of young galls is musty, earthy if not smokey. Less expansively they taste like a cross between mushrooms and corn. While the fungus is used like expensive mushrooms and served in elegant restaurants in Latin America it is considered a plant disease in other countries. If you can’t find any fresh locally you can order canned corn smut over the Internet. Perhaps not surprisingly fresh infected corn sells for more than uninfected corn. In the U.S. an ear of huitlacoche costs some 41 cents to produce and sells for about three times that, $1.20. An ear of sweet corn costs about a dime to produce but sells for only a few pennies more.
The Aztecs intentionally inoculated their corn with spores by scratching the base of corn stalk with a soil-smeared knife. In Midwest America hail scratches corn plants allowing spores to enter. The fungus can live up to three years in the soil. The intentional infection is usually manifests itself ten days to two weeks later.
Though highly nutritious there are reports of toxicity and effects such as fungal skin infection, hair loss and allergic reactions in people. There is little evidence to support that. However when digested Ustilago maydis is known to produce ustizein, guanacine, itaconic acid, ustilagic acid, and the alkaloid ustilagine, which may have similar effects to ergotamine which is from ergot (Claviceps purpurea). Efforts to use corn smut medicinally like ergot has not worked well because it is weaker. See Herb Blurb below. As a fungus corn smut is a distant relative of Boletus and Agaricusmushrooms. Also, out of 1,000 smut species it is one of two commonly eaten. The other is Ustilago esculenta, which grows on rice stalks in China.
Corn smut is widespread. While native to Central America it now has almost worldwide distribution. It is rare, however, in tropical regions and is not found in New Zealand. Corn smut was first noticed in Australia in 1911 but was eradicated around the beginning of World War II. It reappeared in Australia in 1982. It’s common in Europe wherever corn is grown. Corn smut is intentionally grown in limited quantities in California, Georgia, Virginia and in nearby Groveland, Florida. In the United States up to 5% of the corn crop can be unintentionally affected with some species of corn more susceptible than others such as sweet corn. A larger problem is when one infected ear is mechanically harvested the inky spores cover many other good ears picked at the same time making them unusable plus the machine needs to be cleaned. Millions have been spent trying to control it.
As one might expect there are disagreements on what huitlacochemeans exactly. While authorities agree huitlacoche (week-la-KOH-chay) comes from the Aztecs there are two or more interpretations which are variations on a theme. Some say it means “sleeping excrement” others “raven excrement.” Regardless, you get the idea. As for the Dead Latin name Ustilago (oos-TILL-ah-go) it means “burnt” because of the way the smut can look as it ages. Maydis(MAY-diss) is the local reference to the corn. Huitlacoche is also written cuitlacoche.
IDENTIFICATION: Ustilago maydis: Look for large irregular swellings up to 7 inches (20 cm) across on the stems, leaves and ears. Young galls are silvery-white covered by a thin grayish skin. The gall darkens then ruptures exposing a dark brown, powdery spore mass. Spores are rounded and pale brown, densely covered with small pointed spines.
TIME OF YEAR:The local corn-growing season. Rick Bayless, author, chef of Mexican cuisine, owner of Frontera Grill in Chicago says “Pick it when it feels like a pear starting to ripen, when there’s a little give to it. Too firm and it will be bitter. Too late, when the thin skin of the gall breaks if you rub it, and it will taste really muddy.”
ENVIRONMENT: Huitlacoche grows best during times of hot weather in a 78°F to 93°F (25°C–34°C). Prefers nitrogen-rich soil, dry conditions after rain.
METHOD OF PREPARATION: Collected when young and still moist, they are usually cooked like mushrooms. One common simple use is to flavor scrambled eggs. See recipes below.
Smutty Mac and cheese with a Pecan Crust
Ingredients • Pecan Crust
118ml butter
237 ml pecans
237ml panko
Instructions • Pecan Crust
In a small sauté pan melt the butter
Add the pecans and sauté until the nuts are slightly browned – about 5 minutes
Strain the nuts, reserve the butter
When cool mix with panko in a food processor and grind finely
Ingredients • Smutty Mac & Cheese
207ml coarsely chopped huitlacoche
45ml butter
45ml flour
500ml grated old Cheddar cheese
500ml grated Gouda
500ml grated marbled Cheddar
700ml milk
Bay leaf
Salt, pepper
500ml corn kernels
1 sweet onion, small dice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
341g pasta, macaroni type
Instructions • Smutty Mac & Cheese
Remove the smut off the cob with a sharp paring knife, or with your fingers!
Coarsely chop the huitlacoche
Cook pasta, reserve
In a large sauté pan use the reserved butter and heat until it bubbles
Add the flour, stir until the roux darkens
Add milk, bay leaf, salt and pepper, simmer for 10 minutes
Fold in cheeses, stir until melted
Add corn kernels
Caramelize onion and garlic, add to cheese mixture
Fold in pasta
Butter a baking dish; spread half the mixture in bottom layer Spread the huitlacoche on top
Add the rest of the mixture, concealing the smut
Top with the pecan mixture
Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or until bubbly and the crust is browned
Huitlacoche Soup
Ingredients
¾ cup huitlacoche and corn
4 cups milk
½ cup diced onion
1 cup diced pumpkin/squash flower
4 diced garlic cloves
1 diced chile pepper
¼ cup colby-jack cheese
2 tablespoons diced *pipicha + fresh sprigs to garnish soup (*cilantro or papalo can be used as substitute)
2 teaspoons pink Himalayan sea salt
2 tablespoons butter or bacon grease
Instructions
Add butter to saucepan on medium heat. Once melted, add onions and one teaspoon salt. Stir onions until they become translucent, then add diced garlic, diced chile pepper, and corn/huitlacoche mix. Stir until garlic begins to brown.
Add milk and pumpkin/squash flower. Bring to a simmer. Add diced pipicha and blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes, adding up to another teaspoon of salt to taste. If you don't have an immersion blender (see link below recipe for the immersion blender we recommend), you'll want to finish cooking the soup, then blend it in a food processor before serving.
Ladle/pour soup into bowls or cups. Garnish with shredded colby-jack cheese and pipicha sprigs (use cilantro as a substitute). Serve warm and enjoy the rich, earthy flavor!
CORN TRUFFLE QUESADILLAS | QUESADILLAS DE HUITLACOCHE
INGREDIENTS For The Huitlacoche Filling:
350 grams or ¾ lb. of fresh huitlacoche (alternatively you can use canned or jar if not available)
half a small white onion, sliced into thin slivers
fresh finely chopped serrano or jalapeño peppers, amount it to taste & you can even use a mix of both
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
sea salt to taste (I used around 1.5 teaspoons)
couple of tablespoons of fresh chopped epazote or half to one teaspoon of dried epazote
Quesadilla Ingredients:
corn tortillas
Oaxaca cheese (or substitue with either mozzarella or Chihuahua or Mexican manchego-style cheese)
salsa for topping
INSTRUCTIONSPrepare The Huitlacoche Filling:
If using fresh huitlacoche, the package will instruct wether it needs to be rinsed or not. For the canned simply open and use, the canned huitlacoche comes ready to use. If using the jarred version only if it comes in brine then you can drain otherwise do read the instructions on the jar but you should just be able to use as desired. If you'd like you can remove any corn silk from any of the huitlacoche you use.
Heat the oil, once hot add the onion and sauté until tender, sprinkle a little salt over the onion. Next add the garlic and the chopped chilie(s) and sauté until soft, then add the huitlacoche to the pan and season with a little salt and fresh or dried epazote. For fresh huitlacoche, cook just for a few minutes until the small pieces become soft and just start to break down easily. Make sure to stir often. Also watch the video for a visual of when the huitlacoche is cooked perfectly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Cooking the Quesadilla:
Warm up a comal or a griddle or pan,until hot then turn the flame to medium-low. Then place a corn tortilla on it and allow to warm up for a minute, flip it over then on one half of the tortilla place the cheese. Spoon in some of the huitlacoche filling on top of the cheese, carefully fold the empty tortilla half over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Cook for a few minutes before flipping over and cooking a couple of more minutes -- all you want to achieve is melted cheese. Remove the quesadilla from the heat and set aside to continue until of the filling is used up.
Serve the quesadillas with your favourite salsa (or even hot sauce), I love pairing this quesadillas with my tomato & serrano pepper salsa. You can get that recipe here.
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