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roast corn

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Gluten Free Vegetarian

Ultimate Caribbean Grilled (roast) Corn Recipe.

4 Comments on Ultimate Caribbean Grilled (roast) Corn Recipe.

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This is NOT my dad’s roast (grilled) corn! If you grew up on the islands, you’ll know that fire roasted corn is a big deal every corn season. However I was never a fan of the ‘roast’ corn our dad was obsessed with, as I found the younger (not as mature as the ones used for fire roasting) corn, boiled in salted water was my fave. Since moving to North America where we have access to ‘sweet’ corn early in the summer, that all changed. As I was now able to get the same sort of tender and sweet kernels I enjoyed as a kid (though the corn is fully mature) even after I roast them off. But you know I would never have my girls settle for basic grilled corn… pay attention as I’m about to make you a superstar when it comes to grilling corn.

You’ll Need…

5 sweet corn
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 scallions (chopped fine)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (hot)
1/2 lime (juice)
1/4 cup feta cheese

* optional 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin | Bamboo Skewers

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe vegan/vegetarian you can skip the cheese addition at the end or use a cheese substitute you normally use.

 Remove the husk and hair (silk) off the corn, trim off the edges and cut in half. Then get ready to make the marinade. Yes, while the kernels probably won’t absorb the marinade, once it gets in contact the husk (core) it will add some magic to the corn when grilled off.

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Add all the ingredients except the lime juice and cheese in a bowl and whisk to combine. Then pour over the corn pieces and mix well. The goal is to get the corn husk (core) to absorb the marinade for a couple hours or longer , so when they grill on the open fire the kernels will take on the lovely flavors we started with.

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For presentation purposes I then went in the core of each corn with a bamboo skewer just before grilling (totally optional).

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Do remember to stir them around during the marination process. Basically all you have to do now is grill them off untill they’re cooked, a bit charred and definitely sweet. I went for an indirect way of roasting the corn, so I circled the main heat source (coals fire).

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Keep rotating them so they grill evenly. After about 8 minutes of indirect heat (lid closed), I then moved the corn directly over the coals, so they would develop some color and really heighten the sweetness. Please keep in mind that you’ll have to pay close attention to them at this point as the natural sugars from the corn and coconut milk will want to caramelize and burn quickly, over direct heat.

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In total I grilled these corn for about 10-12 minutes. Just before I moved them off the flame I squeezed the lime juice directly over then and while on the serving platter I crumbled on the Feta cheese (while the corn is still hot/warm). Please keep in mind (if you’re based in the Caribbean where we have a much tougher corn) that I used ‘sweet’ corn for this recipe, so they cooked relatively fast.

I do hope you all are enjoying the recipes so far, as we work our way though our annual #JulyMonthOfGrilling

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Side Dishes

Grilled Corn Salad With A Spicy Cheddar Dressing.

4 Comments on Grilled Corn Salad With A Spicy Cheddar Dressing.

No joke.. I disliked roast (grilled) corn as a boy on the islands and even today it’s not something I  automatically prepare when sweet corn is in season here in Ontario. I absolutely hate the kernels getting stuck between my teeth!  However, you can feed me boiled corn (naked.. no butter or salt) everyday and I’ll be happy. The joy of those sweet kernels popping as you bite down on the cob takes me back to days when my brother and I would countdown the days to harvest. Back then it was common for people (who lived in the country-side) to have a plot of land where they planted a lot of the vegetables they ate. We always had corn, pigeon peas, cassava, scotch bonnet peppers, eggplant, okra, pumpkin, eddoes.. well you see where I’m going with this list.

Though it wasn’t the tender sweet corn as you get in North America, we always got to the corns before they got overly mature so we could have sweet and tender corn on the cob when boiled.

 

You’ll Need…

Dressing


1/2 cup cheddar (grated)
1/4 olive oil
3 table spoon lime juice
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
2 garlic cloves
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

…….
6 corn (sweet corn)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil (brush corn before grilling)
2 bell peppers (I used red and orange for added contrast)
2 scallions

 

Brush the corn with olive oil or any oil you like using and place then on a hot grill (I did mine on charcoal). There’s no need to brush the bell peppers with any oil as we want them to char to the point where the outer skin will be easy to remove. By grilling both the corn and peppers they will become even more sweet and take on a lovely overall flavor. Remember to rotate them as they grill and be prepared to hear the corn popping as they cook.

As they grill, lets prepare the zesty cheddar dressing. You’ll need a blender or a magic bullet as I did. Grate the cheese and finely chop the scotch bonnet pepper before adding to the blender. Remember to wear gloves when handling such peppers and do remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling. Place all the ingredients into the blender and puree to a somewhat smooth and creamy consistency.

Immediately after you remove the peppers off the grill, I would recommend placing them on a dish and wrapping the dish in plastic wrap. The residual heat will cause them to steam and make removing the charred skin easy to remove.

TIP! To prevent the corn kernels from scattering on your counter when you remove them off the cob, I like placing an inverted (small) bowl inside a larger bowl. So I can stand the corn up on the small bowl and as I cut the kernels off, they will fall into the large bowl.

Time to prep the peppers… using your hands, a knife or paper towels, gently scrape the charred skin off the peppers. Then cut open, remove the stems and seeds (discard). Now cut into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the bowl with the corn. Chop the scallions and also add them to the bowl.

Top with the dressing (remember to stir the dressing if  its been sitting around for long) and give everything a good toss. Serve immediately (love it warm) or store in the fridge. Remember there’s cheese in the dressing, so be sure to keep it out of the sun (if serving outdoors).

If you have a weakness for roast corn and cheese like our dad you’ll love this dish and it’s the only way I would now eat roast (grilled) corn. As we progress through July’s month of grilling, be prepared for even more exciting dishes straight off the grill!

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