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The hard ends of Parmesan cheese represent the best sustainable kitchen trick – like a cheesy stock cube, they enrich stews, sauces and all sorts, adding incredible taste in the form of umami depth and creamy texture. Kept in the refrigerator or freezer, they keep almost indefinitely. This week’s recipe uses them in a thrifty, creamy corn orzo that transforms a handful of basic items into cozy fall food.

Corn and Orzo Delight

This dish was a happy accident, and had everyone asking for seconds. Originally, the idea was a classic tomato orzo to use up that half-bag in the cupboard remaining after making a cold pasta dish, but desired a dish fitting the season. Sweet corn on the cob are one of autumn’s fleeting treats, as short-lived as asparagus, and during their brief season I enjoy them often. Following this approach, I believed it would be good to utilize the entire corn – not just the sweet kernels, but also the thick, tasty residue and the used cores. That extra flavour, combined with a cheese crust, shallot, butter and a dash of cream or liquid, transforms a single cob into a generous and very fulfilling dish for two.

Serves 2 generously

• 1 fresh corn cob
• 50 grams of butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 250g orzo
• 40-50g parmesan rind – shred and save leftover cheese
• 100ml double cream, if desired
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• High-quality olive oil, to finish

For maximum taste from the corn, stand it on one end, cut off the kernels in long strips, then separate the cobs manually. After that, using a spoon, quickly scrape the thick, creamy residue from the cobs into a bowl. Put the spent cobs in a pan with 750 milliliters of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil, cover and allow to simmer slowly.

Melt the butter in a separate big skillet on a medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook gently, stirring, for about five minutes, until tender, then add the corn kernels and orzo, and saute for three minutes. Introduce the cheese rind, heavy cream, if preferred, and the saved corn residue, heat until bubbling and cook for two minutes, stirring to make sure the mix doesn’t catch and burn.

Strain the hot corn stock into the orzo pan, bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle boil and cook, mixing often, for about seven minutes, until the orzo is al dente and the mixture is loose and creamy; add a little extra water to loosen. Adjust flavors with salt and pepper, and dish up topped with additional butter and a dusting of the reserved grated parmesan.