Tikka Twist Charred Corn Salad
Sweet corn charred hard in a cast iron skillet, then folded into a cool, tangy dressing. It is a cookout side that holds up on a table for an hour without wilting.
Photography is illustrative. Every recipe is tested.
Ingredients
- 4 cups corn kernels, from about 5 ears, or one 16-ounce bag frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Tikka Twist Signature Blend, Mild or Hot
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, about half a lime
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta or cotija
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt, only if needed
Contains: Soy, Wheat.
Using the blend
2 teaspoons
Whisk the blend into the cold mayonnaise and sour cream first and let it sit while the corn cooks. The tomato powder and fenugreek leaf need a few minutes in something wet to soften, and the blend never touches the hot pan at all, which is the point: dry in a screaming skillet it would scorch.
Method
- 01
In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 teaspoons Tikka Twist Signature Blend, and the lime juice until smooth. Set it aside while you cook the corn. The few minutes of rest let the dried tomato and amchur soften into the dressing.
- 02
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high until it shimmers.
- 03
Add half the corn in one layer. Four cups at once will steam rather than char, so this goes in two batches. Leave it alone 3 to 4 minutes without stirring.
- 04
Stir and cook 2 minutes more, until roughly a quarter of the kernels have brown and black spots, then tip it out and repeat with the rest of the oil and corn. That char is most of the flavor, so do not cut it short.
- 05
Spread the corn on a plate and let it lose its fiercest heat for 5 minutes. Tipping screaming hot corn straight into mayonnaise thins the dressing and can split it.
- 06
Scrape the corn into the bowl with the dressing and toss until every kernel is coated.
- 07
Fold in the scallions, feta and cilantro.
- 08
Taste before you reach for the salt. Between the blend and the cheese it usually needs none. Serve warm or at room temperature, and refrigerate leftovers within two hours. This is a dairy dressing, so it should not sit out all afternoon.