Salsa, made with roasted corn, a rare delicacy here in England.
Imagine my surprise to find corn once again in the supermarket produce section, unshucked and only 30p an ear.
"Quel surprise," I murmured in French, as I always do while examining produce at Tesco. "Ohh la la," I added, just because I like to say that. I imagined the Roasted Corn Salsa I could make with fresh corn, and I quickly switched to Spanish. "Holy Toledo! El cheapo corn, here at the height of summer! Waitrose can kiss my guacamole!"
Faithful readers will remember my frustration with our other local superstore, Waitrose, and their unsportsmanlike pricing of fresh corn. Nearly £2 for 2 already shucked ears of corn. At today's exchange rate, that's almost $4 for about a cup of corn kernels.
The French have a word for this: it's snort.
But on to the recipe, which originally contained the dreaded fresh tomatoes. Shudder. I add chopped red peppers instead, apres roasting. Adjust the heat to your taste; some jalapenos can be hot—yes, even here amongst the tastebud-challenged English. Serve with tortilla chips to appreciative guests.
Here's how to do it:
Roasted Corn Salsa
kernels from 3 ears of corn, about 2 cups
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
1 or 2 jalapenos or other hot peppers, minced
1/4 cup coriander leaves/cilantro, chipped
salt
black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place corn kernels and garlic on a roasting pan (cover it first with aluminum foil for easier clean-up). Drizzle the olive oil over and stir to coat the corn. Roast in oven for 20 minutes total, stirring a few times to prevent uneven roasting.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Add the corn to the remaining ingredients; stir well. Use a tortilla chip to taste before adding too much salt. Let the salsa sit for an hour or so to allow the flavors to develop.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Note on ingredients: I've used dried corn (Melissa's brand) with this recipe too, omitting the roasting and adding water to rehydrate the corn. It's pretty good too. You can also add the dreaded tomatoes if you don't mind the taste. If you're trying to cut out fat, use a spray vegetable oil instead of olive oil and a little water to prevent sticking.
