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
- Can be done on a hot grill or cast iron pan.
- For grill, rub lightly with oil and evenly char on all sides.
- Let cool and cut kernels off the cob.
- For stove top, cut kernels off the cob and toss lightly in olive oil.
- Heat cast iron pan and evenly char. Let cool.
- Dice tomatoes into the approximate size of the corn.
- Mix with corn, pickled onions with pickling liquid, olive oil and basil (or other herbs).
- Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Pickled Onions
Ingredients
- Red Onion
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Sugar
Method
- Julienne onion (cut in strips like matchsticks), toss with equal amounts salt and sugar.
- Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes. The liquid that appears is a brine solution, in this case can be discarded.
- Add enough red wine vinegar to cover the onions.
- Place a pan on high heat and add onions to pan reserving most of your liquid, you should hear a sizzle.
- Heat through and add back to the vinegar. Let cool, place in fridge for later use.