If you like chili-spiced food and fresh corn, combine the two in the next recipe you make. Today, I offer three ways to do that.
One is colourful salsa given a pleasing smoky taste by first grilling three of its key ingredients until lightly charred. They include corn on the cob, tomatoes and jalapeño peppers. Once removed from the grill and cooled, the corn kernels are cut off the cob, and the tomatoes and peppers chopped. All are then combined in a zesty salsa flavoured with cilantro, lime and cumin. Serve the salsa at a summer party with tortilla chips and your guests will gobble it up.
Fresh corn always tastes great in soup, and my second recipe makes that happen in a simmering creation that’s like Tex-Mex-style corn chowder. I say that because five types of peppers accent the flavour of the fresh corn kernels and potatoes used.
The soup has a pleasing spiciness thanks to modest additions of fresh jalapeño pepper and dried, ground cayenne pepper and chipotle chili powder, sold at most supermarkets in the spice aisle. The sweet corn and the other two peppers in the soup, sweet red bell pepper and earthy poblano pepper, nicely balance that spiciness.
The soup is finished off with a cool addition of tangy sour cream and a refreshing sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Make a meal of the soup by serving it with just-baked cornbread or biscuits.
My last recipe, chicken and fresh corn fritters with chili lime dip, is from my new book, The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook. This recipe sees bits of cooked chicken and fresh corn kernels mixed into a thick batter.
The batter is fried in bite-sized nuggets until gloriously crisp and golden, then served with the cool, tangy and nicely spiced dip for dunking. The recipe’s introduction describes them as addictive fritters perfect for a pre-dinner snack with a glass of cold lemonade or iced tea, and they are!
To cut the kernels off a cob of corn for use in any of today’s recipes, after shucking and thoroughly removing the silk from it, grab onto its stem end. Now set the tip of the cob in the centre of a wide, shallow bowl, then use a sharp paring knife to cut and slide the kernels off the cob and into the bowl. When cutting off the kernels, work as close to the cob as you can, but not so close that you’re taking a lot of the fibrous cob along for the ride. One medium-sized cob of corn should yield about one cup of kernels.
Charred Corn, Tomato and Jalapeño Salsa
Charring the fresh corn, tomatoes and jalapeño pepper before chopping them gives this salsa a pleasing smoky taste and aroma. Serve it as an appetizer or snack with tortilla chips. You could also serve this salsa as a condiment for salmon, pork, burgers, hot dogs or chicken. This recipe could be doubled if you’re feeding a crowd.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About six minutes
Makes: About six to eight (1/3 to 1/2 cup serving)
2 large ripe red tomatoes
1 large cob corn, shucked
2 medium jalapeño peppers
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt to taste
Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to medium-high. Set the corn, tomatoes and jalapeños right on the grill. Grill them, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about four minutes for tomatoes and jalapeños, and six minutes for the corn.
Set the corn, tomatoes and jalapeños on a plate and cool to room temperature.
Cut the corn off the cob and set in a bowl. Chop the tomatoes, including the skins, and set in the bowl with the corn. Pull the skin off the jalapeños, and then cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the jalapeños, and then finely chop the flesh and place in the bowl with corn and tomatoes. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate salsa until needed. Salsa can be made a few hours before serving. Gently mix again just before doing so.
Fresh Corn Soup with Five Peppers, Sour Cream and Cilantro
Red bell, poblano, jalapeño, chipotle and cayenne pepper add flavour to this hearty soup rich with sweet, fresh corn kernels. Once prepared and cooled, this soup, minus the sour cream and cilantro garnish, could be frozen to be thawed, reheated, garnished and served later in the year.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 30 minutes
Makes: six servings
3 cobs corn
1 small onion, diced (cut into 1/4-inch cubes)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium poblano pepper, diced (see Note)
1 large jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 medium red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• salt to taste
1/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
Shuck the corn, ensuring all the silk is removed. With a sharp paring knife, cut the kernels off each cob. Heat the oil in a medium to large pot set over medium heat. Add the corn, onions, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, jalapeño pepper and garlic, and cook and stir five minutes.
Mix in the flour, oregano, chipotle chili and cayenne and cook and stir two minutes more. Slowly mix in one cup of the stock. Cook and stir, and when the mixture becomes very thick, slowly mix in the remaining stock.
Bring the soup to a simmer, then add the potatoes. Simmer soup until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Season the soup with salt. Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.
Note: Fresh, dark-green poblano peppers are sold at many supermarkets. If you can’t find one, use a small green bell pepper in this recipe.
Chicken and Fresh Corn Fritters with Chili Lime Dip
These addictive fritters are perfect as a pre-dinner snack with a glass of cold lemonade or iced tea.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 to 4 minutes per batch
Makes: about 24 fritters
For the dip
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp honey
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Dip can be made several hours in advance of serving.
For the fritters
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1 cup finely diced rotisserie chicken meat
3/4 cup raw, fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• vegetable oil for frying
Preheat a deep fryer to 350 F. Preheat the oven to 200 F. Set a baking rack over a baking sheet. Beat the egg in a medium bowl until well blended. Whisk in the buttermilk and set aside.
In a second bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne and paprika until well mixed. Stir in the chicken, corn, and green onions and toss until well coated with flour mixture.
Add the flour mixture into the egg/buttermilk mixture, and mix well to create a very thick batter. Working in batches, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter into the oil. Deep-fry until golden, three to four minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked fritters to the baking rack and keep warm in the oven until all the fritters are cooked. Arrange the fritters on a platter and serve with a bowl of the dip alongside.
Eric Akis is the author of The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
