The first ears of corn appeared in the green market last weekend, nudging strawberries and peas out of their starring roles and sending them back to the chorus. Corn at the market heralds the arrival of Summer, which means the city is gearing up for Fourth of July celebrations.
Fireworks will rise and explode over the Hudson, basking New York City in a red, white and blue glow. We’ll all stand around a grill, hot dog in hand, celebrating America, and the bar-be-que season (or ‘barbie’, if you’re speaking Australian).
Every grilling feast requires side dishes to provide levity to the charcoaled meat. When I saw corn in the market this week, I immediately craved a cob lathered in mayonnaise and cheese with a squeeze of fresh lime and a dusting of chili. But this can be rather difficult to eat while juggling a paper plate and glass of wine at a party. So here’s a spin on Elote, Mexican corn on the cob, ready for elegant consumption at July 4th celebrations.
This recipe uses roasted corn kernels. Although nature packaged corn perfectly for eating with our hands, taking the kernels off the cob and roasting them is worthwhile. It brings out the natural sweetness of the corn by removing excess moisture during cooking, which results in beautifully caramelized, golden and flavorful kernels with a bit of crunch.
