 | | | Mexican Street Corn sans Mayonnaise Photos Susie Iventosch | | | | | | We really love corn and everything about street corn is so delicious, except a few people in my family won't touch mayonnaise. So, I've come up with a version that avoids mayo and we think it tastes even better this way. We used grilled corn to start with, and then combine it with onions, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, spices and cheese to get a burst of flavor. It's also easy to eat, since the corn is already cut off the cob.
You can use any kind of cheese you like, but the cheese is what gives it that creamy texture to replace the mayonnaise. We use mixed Mexican cheese in addition to feta or cotija cheese. We like the tangy flavor of the feta, so we stick to that instead of cotija, which is a milder cheese.
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can grill the corn several days ahead of time, and store it either on or off the cob until you're ready to make the street corn. I love that, because it saves so much time when you go to make your street corn. You can also make the whole dish ahead of time and refrigerate it in an air-tight container until you're ready to heat and serve it.
Mexican Street Corn
(Serves 6-8)
INGREDIENTS
8 ears corn, husks and silk removed
2 tbsp. canola oil (for brushing corn)
2-3 tsp. Cajun or Diavola spice (I have a proprietary Diavola spice if you are interested!)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1-2 tsp. Cajun spice or Diavola
2 limes (zest and juice)
1/2 cup grated mixed Mexican cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped (or whole)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes: cherry tomatoes, cilantro sprigs, extra feta, diced peppers.
DIRECTIONS
Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Preheat the grill to medium. Brush the ears of corn with canola oil and lightly dust on all sides with Cajun or Diavola spice. Place on upper rack of the barbecue and grill for about 10-12 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes, until the corn is cooked and nicely browned. Remove from grill until cool enough to handle. Cut the corn off the cob and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Cook onions until translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic, jalapeno and Cajun spice. Continue to cook until pepper softens. Add grilled corn, lime zest, lime juice, both cheeses and cilantro. Toss well and season with salt and pepper. (You can also prepare the street corn to this point and refrigerate in an air-tight container until ready to heat and serve.)
Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and street corn is heated through.
Garnish with cherry tomatoes, extra feta, freshly diced peppers and cilantro sprigs. |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA