Each year when corn is in season, I know it’s time to make maque choux (pronounced mock shoo), a comforting Cajun dish that is as colorful as it is tasty. This braised stew has long been served at South Louisiana tables, and every family makes theirs a little differently. Where the name of the dish comes from has lots of theories, some involving the Acadian settlers “Frenchifying” the name of a Native American dish. To me, maque choux says Indian Summer.
Our family’s version of this dish combines freshly shucked corn with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. 
Preparing the corn
When I was growing up, my mother would make chicken maque choux, starting the dish by browning chicken pieces. We would need a dozen ears of corn or more to fill the cast iron pot she used. I have vivid memories of helping my mom cut the kernels from the cobs and then running the back of the knife down the length of the cob to get the corn’s “milk” released. 
As I prepared the corn for this dish, I thought about how talented Cajun cooks are at squeezing every bit of flavor from their ingredients.
Layers of flavor
While I started my sautéing of vegetables with the typical Cajun onion for this version, I varied the peppers used. The usual choice is a green bell pepper, a workhorse of the Cajun trinity of seasonings. This time, I opted for a colorful red bell pepper along with an mildly spicy Anaheim chile. 
After the onions became silky and sweet, the peppers added the next layer of flavor. Once they softened, the freshly cut corn and chopped tomatoes went into the skillet with a bit of water.
Everything braised together in the covered pot for just about 10 minutes, long enough for the flavors to meld but short enough for the corn to keep a bit of crunch. 
Some recipes for maque choux use cream, but I feel the “milk” from the corn provides the necessary richness. Likewise, I have seen recommendations to add sugar to the dish, but the corn is sweet enough on its own. The Anaheim chile lifted the spice level so that no extra zing was required, although we had our Tabasco bottle at the table. 
While cooks can certainly use frozen or canned corn to make maque choux, it is a dish that highlights the amazing flavor and texture of fresh corn. 
I think Indian Summer is worth celebrating, and maque choux is the dish to bring to that party.
Corn Maque Choux
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 ears of fresh corn
- 1 medium brown onion chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper cored and seeded and chopped
- 1/2 Anaheim chile cored and seeded and chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes cored and chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Shuck the corn, removing any silk that is visible from the ears. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off of each ear of corn into a large wide bowl. Then using the back of the knife, run the blunt side of the blade down the length of the cut cob to get any corn “milk” that remains into the bowl. Set the bowl of corn aside.
- Using a large wide skillet, heat butter and oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes, until the onion begins to become translucent.
- Add the chopped bell pepper and Anaheim chile to the onions. Reduce heat to medium and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until the peppers have wilted, about 7 additional minutes.
- Add the corn kernels and the tomatoes to the skillet and stir to combine with the onion-peppers mixture. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Add the water and stir. Bring to a boil.
- Cover the skillet and lower the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice during that time. Taste the mixture to see if more salt or pepper is needed.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
