Roasted Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad

July 22, 2009 · Filed under recipes · Tagged corn, grilled corn, pasilla peppers, salad

I freely admit it. I’m on a corn kick right now. But how can I resist making meals with freshly roasted corn when it’s in season, deliciously sweet, and so inexpensive? So when I saw five ears of corn for a dollar at the market the other day, I knew I had to make another corn dish. The timing was perfect as I was making chile verde for a dinner party on Sunday and needed to pair it with a salad — and roasted corn and pasilla pepper salad seemed a perfect compliment to the pork stew.

I roasted the pasilla peppers, as charring them brings out a smoky flavor and helps curb any underlying heat. As the grill was on anyway, I decided to also roast the corn, which brings out an inner sweetness to the vegetable. The combination of smoky peppers with sweet corn was perfect. Topped with salty crumbled cotija cheese and a lime dressing and we were ready for  business.

Other Corn-Related Recipes

• Roasted Cream of Corn Soup
• Lobster Tacos
• Homemade Popcorn and Kettle Corn
• Inexpensive Family Meals
  

Roasted Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad

Makes: 5 cups

Ingredients:

5 ears of corn
3 large pasilla peppers
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
3 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat grill to high.
2. Place husked corn on direct heat and turn down the grill. If using a charcoal grill, place on indirect heat.
3. Grill for about 5 minutes a side or until the kernels start to brown. You may even hear a popping sound.
4. When corn is thoroughly cooked, remove it from the grill. Set aside to cool.
5. Lay pasillla peppers on the grill and cook until each side is nicely charred.
6. Place cooked peppers in a small paper bag for at least five minutes to steam.
7. Take peppers out of the bag and remove the charred skin. I like to rip open the bag and then remove the skin on top of the paper. This makes it easy to clean up afterward.
8. Trim kernels from the cobs and place the corn in a bowl. I place my knife at a slight angle, which makes it easier to remove the kernels.
9. Chop peppers into 1/4-inch pieces and add to bowl with the corn.
10. Add olive oil and juice from the three limes. Salt and pepper to taste.
11. Top with the cotija cheese and serve.