This corn best to eat right after being picked
There are so many things to celebrate during summer and one of them is when locally grown corn comes into season. Most of us by now have had a belly full of corn served up at barbecues and corn roasts alike.
Peaches and cream corn is often the one that everyone peruses as it is believed to be the sweetest variety of corn available which sees road side vendors displaying signs selling “Peaches & Cream Corn” and grocery stores carrying commercial brands of corn labeled as peaches and cream but truth is that peaches and cream corn is not a commercially produced crop, nor is it produced en masse. It is a variety designed for backyard gardeners and best eaten within an hour of picking it. Peaches and cream Corn never made it to commercial production, the name somehow did. Edible corn varieties vary from white kernels to yellow kernels and a combination of the two. The yellow kernels are traditionally the sweetest; but can see variations depending on the variety.
All parts of the corn cob or ears can be used in culinary applications. The husk is used as a food wrapper when making to Enchiladas. The silk, those pale green stringy bits found under the husk makes a mild tea and of course the corn cob itself. If you choose you can grill your corn with or without the husk but will need to cut off the brown silk tip and soak the ears in water for half an hour to prevent burning the cobs. I’ve been serving the classic Mexican street food corn known as elotes at private events and out of the Angle Iron Kitchen for the past couple of weeks which is on the cob charred on the grill, then slathered in a lightly spiced cream sauce covered in ground parmesan cheese in place of the traditional Mexican Cotija cheese which is finished with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Grilling shucked ears of corn directly over very hot coals or in a hot oven brings out corn's natural nutty flavor and lightly chars the kernels giving them a stronger texture, caramelizing the sugar within the kernels. Combine this cooking method with the condiments produces a sweet, salty, savory, nutty, creamy, and tart flavor profile for every bite.
Elotes can be enjoyed year round as you can easily make the following recipe in a cast-iron pan or under the broiler in the oven and enjoy the taste of summer throughout the year.
Elotes - Grilled Mexican Street Corn
Ingredients:
8 ears corn, shucked
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese, or powdered parmesan
½ cup mayo
½ cup sour cream
½ cup cilantro leaves, minced, optional 1 tsp. lime zest
1 tsp. ancho or chipotle chili powder Lime wedges and minced green onions for serving
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat your barbecue or oven to 450550°f. Brush the corn with cooking oil and lightly season them with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together 3/4 of the cheese with the mayo, sour cream, cilantro, lime zest and chile powder to until evenly incorporated.
Cook the corn, turning as needed, for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through and lightly charred. Take the cobs off the grill and liberally brush each cob with the cheese sauce mixture and set the cobs out onto a platter. Sprinkle the cobs with the remaining cheese and minced green onion and serve with lime wedges.