Sweet Corn Salad

This is the hottest summer I've experienced in New York, and I don't feel much like eating, let alone cooking in my sauna of a kitchen. (Hence the delay in new recipes!) But sweet, summer corn is at its peak right now, and it's the perfect thing to eat in this heat. I often just steam some cobs on the stove and eat it plain, no butter or salt or anything. I've even been known to eat cold corn on the cob for breakfast.

Mark Bittman's The Minimalist recipe this week is for Grilled Corn, Mexican style, one of my absolute favorites. My version is an adaptation of something I saw Tyler Florence do years ago on the Food Network. (His take here. Scroll down for the recipe.) Since I don't have a grill, I steam mine, slather on a coat of mayonnaise, roll it in freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle on ground ancho chili powder and a squirt of lime juice. (Don't be afraid of the mayonnaise - I've always been a little bit squeamish about mayonnaise myself, but one bite of this and you'll be a convert. Also, I prefer pure ancho chili powder for this, rather than the spice mix labeled "chili powder" that has cumin and sometimes other things mixed in. That's great for making a pot of chili, but I think it overpowers the corn.)

Beyond corn on the cob, a salad of crunchy, steamed kernels with vegetables and lime juice is a bit more refined and is a mild and colorful accompaniment to grilled fish, prawns, or chicken. The key is to choose complementary mix-ins that don't overpower the sweet, delicate flavor of the corn. (Stay away from garlic and strong cheeses like goat or feta - it will be tangy and savory, but the corn itself will taste like cardboard.) I prefer to serve the salad cold and quite soon after making it, to ensure that the veggies are crunchy and the corn is as sweet as can be. The more you let the flavors meld, the more the onions will start to dominate. However, if you use kernels from fire-roasted corn, this salad would be delicious at room temperature or even warm with a little olive oil.

To serve 4 people as a side, you will need:

• 4 ears of corn, shucked and de-silked. Make sure you keep your corn in the fridge until you're ready to cook it. This prevents the sugars from turning into starch and keeps your corn sweet and fresh.
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped. Roasted bell peppers are good too.
• 1 small jalapeño, deveined, seeded, and finely chopped. If you remove the veins and seeds, it will not be too hot, even for the most delicate palates, and will lend a light, fragrant chili pepper flavor and crunch.
• 3 large radishes, thinly sliced into pretty rounds
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• Juice of 1/2 lime.To extract as much juice as possible, start with a room temperature lime. Roll it firmly on your countertop with the heel of your hand. Squeeze the lime half around a fork.
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt. Start low and add more if necessary. You want to bring out the flavors without overpowering the sweetness of the corn.
• A few leaves of chopped basil or cilantro as garnish

Directions:

In a large, wide-bottomed pot with a lid, place a stainless steel steamer basket.

Add water to just under the bottom of the steamer basket, so that the water does not touch the corn, and bring water to a boil. Now, using tongs, arrange the corn in the basket - you can layer the corn, as long as you can still fit the lid on the pot - and put the lid on. Steam for 3-5 minutes (less time for smaller ears and those at room temperature, more time for larger ears that are cold out of the fridge) until the corn is just tender, but still crisp and sweet. Immediately remove the ears from the pot and rinse under cold water, to stop the cooking and preserve the bright color. 

Note: I like steaming corn for several reasons. It's a more gentle way to cook that preserves the nutritional value of the food, and it uses less water than boiling, so the water heats up faster. But if you don't have a steamer, by all means, bring a big pot of water to a boil, add the corn for 3 minutes until just cooked, and then rinse in cold water as above.

To remove the kernels from the cob, I like a large chef's knife, but you can also use a paring knife with care. Cut or break off the stem at its base, so that you can stand the cob up on a cutting board without too much wobbling. Using your knife, shave off the kernels, but be careful not to go into the tough cob. It will seem like you are only removing the top half of each kernel, and you won't get the germ that's hidden in the cob on this pass, and that's ok. You'll get it later. If you try to cut off the entire kernel at once, you will have an unpleasantly fibrous salad. Once you've cut off the kernels all the way around the cob, turn your knife around. Place the back of your knife at a 45 degree angle against the cob, with the blade pointing up. Now scrape firmly down the length of the cob. The pieces of corn that are left in the cob will pop out under the pressure.

To make the salad, simply mix the ingredients together and chill. I found that no oil was necessary, and the results are light and refreshing. But if you want a little richness, a drizzle of olive oil won't hurt!