Sweet, Sweet Corn!

It’s that time of year when local sweet corn starts showing up at farmers markets and grocery stores. I have always been excited to throw a cob in a pot of boiling water and enjoy it with salt and butter. I was never really into eating it off the grill with a nice char until a few years ago. When you char the corn either on a grill or in a cast iron pan you amplify the sweetness of an already sweet cob of corn. Once I made this discovery I was quick to put it on the menu at the restaurant I was working at in Toronto’s Annex. 

Since then I have enjoyed preparing charred corn in many different ways. It is delicious simply it on its own but will make a relish, salsa or salad more awesome. Also, pickled onions are deliciously versatile and their colour looks great on the plate.

Charred Corn Salsa

Ingredients

  • Local Sweet Corn
  • Pickled Red Onion
  • Diced Tomato
  • Basil or other soft fresh herbs
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt/Pepper

Method

  1. Can be done on a hot grill or cast iron pan.
  2. For grill, rub lightly with oil and evenly char on all sides.
  3. Let cool and cut kernels off the cob.
  4. For stove top, cut kernels off the cob and toss lightly in olive oil.
  5. Heat cast iron pan and evenly char. Let cool.
  6. Dice tomatoes into the approximate size of the corn.
  7. Mix with corn, pickled onions with pickling liquid, olive oil and basil (or other herbs).
  8. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Pickled Onions

Ingredients

  • Red Onion
  • Vinegar
  • Salt
  • Sugar

Method

  1. Julienne onion (cut in strips like matchsticks), toss with equal amounts salt and sugar.
  2. Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes. The liquid that appears is a brine solution, in this case can be discarded.
  3. Add enough red wine vinegar to cover the onions.
  4. Place a pan on high heat and add onions to pan reserving most of your liquid, you should hear a sizzle.
  5. Heat through and add back to the vinegar. Let cool, place in fridge for later use.

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