Grilled Corn Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette
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Two things are going on with this grilled corn salad recipe.
One is the corn, of course—grilled corn. Many people have many thoughts about the best way to grill corn, which is confusing, because there is only way to do it: In the husk, on the grill. You don’t need to soak or partially husk. You don’t need to worry about the silks and you don’t have to compromise charring if you keep the husks on. You put the corn directly on the grates over direct heat. About 14 minutes later, after rolling them around every now and then, you’ll have very charred husks that unfurl to reveal plump, hot, juicy corn kernels that are browned in some spots. The husk and silks slip off easier than a pair of Skims when the party is over. Perfection.
Indoor cooks or any other non-grillers, follow the exact same steps in your largest cast iron skillet set over high heat. Open the windows and turn on the fan, and you’ll arrive at the same place in the same amount of time.
This is a great technique to know and use for the rest of your life. You can roll the ears in some salted butter and call it a day, or make elotes, or stud your favorite cornbread or biscuit with the kernels, or fold them into risotto or grits. Or just bring them, in their husks, to the beach. Options, people!
The other element of this salad is the tomato-soy dressing, which I first made many summers ago at our special little rental house in Montauk, dubbed Billsville in honor of the owner, Bill. The time I spent at that house during many July and August vacations over the years cemented a lot of the cooking and shopping philosophy I laid out in Where Cooking Begins. Every memory I have of cooking in that little, minimally-equipped but absolutely perfect galley kitchen is extremely special to me, and even though I can remember about six things from cooking school, I can remember dozens and dozens of days spent there with my family.
The fridge wasn’t huge there, so we shopped smaller, more frequently, and the produce was so peak that I didn’t have to do much to make anything taste good. I’ve nurtured a very clear memory of throwing tomatoes, soy sauce, and lemon juice into the blender and making a dressing for a grain salad one day. I’ve been tweaking the “recipe” ever since.
For this official iteration, I added some miso to ground the bright acidic notes of the tomatoes and lemon juice, and a little sesame oil to smooth out the flavors and connect to the toasted sesame seeds in the salad itself. This dressing makes more than you’ll need for the salad; it keeps really well and I keep thinking about drinking it like gazpacho or messing around with it as a potential Bloody Mary mix. It’s also a great way to use up half-eaten, bruised or bursting tomatoes.
Speaking of leftovers … the corn salad is a great dip for chips. Chips make great nachos. Nachos are great with salsa. The salad is sorta like salsa. These little marbles went rolling about in my head until I made nachos for one with this salad and some cilantro sprigs as a topping, and I truly implore you to do the same.
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Recipe 7/19/23
Grilled Corn with Tomato Vinaigrette
4 Servings
The best way to grill corn on the cob is also the easiest. No soaking, no partial shucking, and no love lost. I’ll show you how to get perfectly plump and tender kernels with a little bit of smoky char without the drama or silly tricks. The dressing is an umami-factory of tomato, soy, and miso, all of which are perfect complements to sweet juicy corn. This was meant to be served as a side salad, but I immediately had the impulse to dip a corn chip in it, and I advise you to do the same!
Ingredients
4 corn cobs, in husk, silks intact (yields about 3 ½ cup kernels)
1 fresno or serrano chile
1 bunch (5.5 ounces) scallions, dark green ends trimmed
Vegetable oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt; freshly ground pepper
2 medium roma or beefsteak tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces total)
2 teaspoons white or yellow miso
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
½ cup toasted salted pepitas
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Flaky salt, for serving
Prepare a grill for direct, high heat.
Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until the husk is charred over about 80% of the surface,, 12 to 14 minutes minutes. Let cool in husk. (Alternately, cook the corn in a large dry cast iron skillet set over high heat for the same amount of time.)
Meanwhile, drizzle the chile and half the scallions with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning frequently, until the chile is charred and softened and the scallions are golden brown and floppy, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool, then peel the chile; finely chop the flesh and transfer to a medium bowl. (Remove seeds if desired for less heat.) Roughly chop the scallion and add to the same bowl.
Make the dressing: Place the tomato, miso, soy sauce, lemon juice, and vinegar in a blender and season sparingly with salt. Blend until smooth. Add sesame oil and blend briefly to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
Husk the corn and cut the kernels away from the cob. Transfer to bowl with chile and grilled scallions. Add about half of the dressing and stir to coat. Thinly slice the remaining scallions crosswise and toss into the corn mixture along with half of the pepitas. Taste again and add more dressing as needed; it will depend on your corn yield to an extent. Once you’re happy with the dressing, sprinkle remaining sesame seeds and pepitas over top, drizzle with a little extra sesame oil, and season with flaky salt.
From the Market
Corn
Fresno chile
Scallions
Tomatoes
Spin It
Sugar snap peas could be a fun alt for the corn; use 3 ½ cups (remove strings). You’ll need a grill basket for them
Use serrano or jalapeño chile pepper instead of fresno chile pepper
Ripe plum tomatoes or large heirloom tomatoes could be substituted for roma tomatoes
Mexican green onion can replace the scallions
At Home
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Miso
Soy sauce
Lemon
Rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Pepitas
Sesame seeds
Flaky salt
Spin It
Use any neutral oil you have on-hand, or olive oil
Nutritional yeast or grated Parm can replace the miso
Tamari or liquid aminos can be used in place of soy sauce
The lemon juice and rice vinegar are basically interchangeable. White distilled vinegar or lime juice can be used as a sub for either
Layer with tortilla chips and cheese, and melt into Alone NachosTM !
Wonderful!
Regarding the dressing: Do you think doenjang could work instead of the miso? Purely because of laziness from my side - I have an opened tub of doenjang in the fridge, and just ran out of miso!
I am beyond excited to make this in my cast iron this weekend. The dressing part made my mouth water.
Were there any Spin Its for this one? Specifically wondering about the rice vinegar and Pepitas!