Most people are familiar with the Mexican erotic dish of baked corn cobs dusted with mayonnaise, chili powder, cotija cheese and lime juice. But wait until you taste this soup-simmered Japanese street corn from a recently released cookbook. Love Japan: Recipes from the Japanese American Kitchen By Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel.
The recipe calls for a generous drizzle of Kewpie mayonnaise (famous for its rich, umami-rich flavor because it’s made with egg yolks and monosodium glutamate) and shichimi chili pepper, a Japanese spice blend with chili flakes, seaweed and sesame seeds. need to be sprinkled. Combining salty Mexican cheese and fresh citrus, this appetizer is sure to wow your dinner guests.
“After pre-boiling the corn, we [it], cut the ear into several wedges before grilling. It’s a technique that ensures that every bite is packed with deliciousness,” the authors write. “I recommend using a sharp, serrated knife to saw the cobs (and be very careful). Corn is delicious whole.”
Reprinted with permission from Love Japan: Recipes from the Japanese American Kitchen By Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel. Photo with Gabriella Gershenson, copyright © 2023. Photo Copyright © 2023 by Yuki Sugiura. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
material
kosher salt
4 ears of corn
extra virgin olive oil
Kewpie mayonnaise (for serving)
1/4 cup grated cotiha cheese
Shichimi pepper (for serving)
2 green onions (thinly sliced)
1 lime (cut into wedges)
direction
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add plenty of salt to taste the sea. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the pan and place it on a cutting board.
2. When the corn is cool enough, cut each ear in half crosswise. Stand the halves up from the cut and cut lengthwise down the center of the cob. Place the two pieces flat side down and split each lengthwise again so you have four equal wedges. Repeat the same with the remaining corn. In the end he should have 32 wedges.
3. Lightly coat the corn wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste.
4. Heat the grill, grill pan, or grate over high heat. Place the corn wedges kernel-side down and cook until the kernels are slightly charred, about 2-3 minutes (the corn is already cooked and you just want a slightly smoky flavor). Grill the corn in batches, fitting in as many wedges as possible without crowding.
5. Place the grilled corn kernel side up on a large plate. Pour plenty of Kewpie mayonnaise and scatter the cotiilla cheese, shichimi chili peppers, and green onions. Squeeze the lime just before eating and enjoy.