Smoky Summer Corn
Thomas J. Story
Grilled corn sprinkled with crunchy, spicy Salsa Seca is going to be your new favorite summer party food.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article "40 Crowd-Pleasing Labor Day Recipes."
How to Make It
1
First, make the Walnut Salsa Seca: In a wide-bottomed sauté pan, warm the oil over medium heat and toast the guajillo chilies until aromatic, about 2–3 minutes. Strain the oil into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
2
Place chilies and all the seeds into a food processor and pulse until uniform.
3
Transfer the mixture into the bowl with the chili oil. Stir in walnuts, orange chips, and puffed rice. Season to taste with salt.
4
To make the corn: On a gas or charcoal grill heated to medium, place ears of corn on grates. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly charred on one side. Rotate corn a quarter turn, cook another 2 minutes or so, and repeat until charred evenly. When all the corn is charred to your liking, remove to a dish. If not serving immediately, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
5
Arrange corn architecturally, some standing on end, some laid on their sides. Spoon the Walnut Salsa Seca over the top of the corn, allowing some to pile up and some to fall to the plate. Squeeze fresh lime and drizzle olive oil over the top of the corn as desired. Garnish with fresh oregano.
Ingredients
For the Walnut Salsa Seca
½ cup olive oil
4 guajillo chilies, seeds and stems removed
¼ cup white sesame seeds
⅓ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds
1 ¼ tbsp nigella seeds (optional)
1 ⅔ cups toasted walnut pieces
5 dried orange chips, roughly chopped
⅓ cup puffed rice
1–2 tsp. sea salt
For the Corn
4 ears corn on the cob, shucked and cut in half crosswise
1 cup Walnut Salsa Seca (see recipe at right)
olive oil
1 lime, halved
fresh oregano leaves for garnish
Directions
1
First, make the Walnut Salsa Seca: In a wide-bottomed sauté pan, warm the oil over medium heat and toast the guajillo chilies until aromatic, about 2–3 minutes. Strain the oil into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
2
Place chilies and all the seeds into a food processor and pulse until uniform.
3
Transfer the mixture into the bowl with the chili oil. Stir in walnuts, orange chips, and puffed rice. Season to taste with salt.
4
To make the corn: On a gas or charcoal grill heated to medium, place ears of corn on grates. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly charred on one side. Rotate corn a quarter turn, cook another 2 minutes or so, and repeat until charred evenly. When all the corn is charred to your liking, remove to a dish. If not serving immediately, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
5
Arrange corn architecturally, some standing on end, some laid on their sides. Spoon the Walnut Salsa Seca over the top of the corn, allowing some to pile up and some to fall to the plate. Squeeze fresh lime and drizzle olive oil over the top of the corn as desired. Garnish with fresh oregano.
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