I’ve eaten corn around the world, from the corn stews and pies of Chile and stir-fries in China, to fire-roasted whole corn in Laos and cups of heated canned corn from street stands in Jordan. But my favorite preparation is Mexican-style grilled corn, sprinkled with spices and drizzled with sauce. Here I’ve taken
that idea and used Middle Eastern ingredients, resulting in a recipe full of texture and flavor with toppings that are spicy, creamy, and tart. Try the ones suggested here or improvise your own. It makes a fun appetizer, starter, side dish, or accompaniment. To make it vegan, choose non-dairy toppings.
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac
- 4 large ears fresh corn on the cob with husks
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or mint
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SPICE MIX
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, paprika, mint, and sumac and set aside.
TO MAKE THE CORN
Remove the silk from the corn, but leave the outer husks and stem on. Soak the corn in cold water for 20 minutes.
Heat a grill to medium-hot. With the husks closed over the corn cobs, grill the corn on all sides until the kernels can be easily pierced and are charred in places. (If a grill is not available, husk the corn and cook as desired.)
Pull down or remove the husks. Leave the stems on if desired. For smaller portions cut each corn cob in half. Brush each corn cob all over with olive oil. Rub the corn all over with the spice mix and place on a plate. Drizzle the tops with your choice of sauces and spoon or shake on the hot sauce. Sprinkle with feta (if using), cilantro, and green onions.
FOR THE DRIZZLES
(CHOOSE 1 OR 2 CREAMY AND 1 TART)
Creamy:
1 to 3 tablespoons Tahini Sauce
1 to 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 to 3 tablespoons Garlic Sauce
Tart:
1 to 3 tablespoons amba or Yellow Curry Sauce
1 to 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 to 3 tablespoons silan (date syrup)
FOR THE HOT SAUCE (CHOOSE 1)
1 teaspoon z’hug
1 teaspoon harissa
1 teaspoon bottled hot sauce
Serve immediately with lots of napkins.
Notes: Amba (fermented mango sauce), silan (date syrup or honey), pomegranate molasses, z’hug (Yemeni hot sauce), and harissa (North African hot sauce) are available in many kosher, Middle Eastern and other specialty markets and on line.
Recipe reprinted with permission from 52 Shabbats: FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS INSPIRED BY A GLOBAL JEWISH KITCHEN By Faith Kramer The Collective Book Studio/December 2021
Visit FaithKramer.com for links to more of her writing about Jewish customs and food, travel and global ingredients and recipes.
