Mexican Street Corn Salad

The summer I was pregnant with Thompson, I went on a solo trip back to Chicago to visit my family. Trevor was in a Masters program and had to stay and work, so I left him alone for a few weeks. Night after night of a quiet house and missing me, he decided to surprise me with a big homemade dinner when I came home. Trevor isn’t a bad cook, but it definitely doesn’t come easy for him, so I really appreciated the gesture.

My favorite dish he made that night was a Mexican-style corn on the cob. It was a little spicy, a little tangy, and a little sweet. We have made it a few other times since then, but a few weeks ago, when I had some fresh corn that I needed to use for dinner, I decided I wanted something similar, but in salad form. This combines all the flavors of Mexican street corn in a more convenient way for eating. As a bonus, this salad is good served warm or even cold. The left overs would be a great addition in a wrap, on top of a green salad, or just eating alone.

Charred Mexican Street Corn Salad

 

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked, kernals cut off
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 ounces cotija cheese, finely crumbled
• ¼ cup finely sliced scallions
• ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• ½ to 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and stemmed, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 small lime or ½ large lime

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Add corn kernels, season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir, once, then cook until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Stir corn, and repeat until charred on second side, a few minutes longer. Continue stirring charring until all sides are charred, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add mayonnaise, cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve.

Notes

Source: Adapted from Serious Eats.

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