Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Corn, chilies, and herbs - on the grill


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I'm a big proponent of grilling, if the weather is right. As I've stated in previous blogs, grilling can be a subtle technique, if handled just so.

Consider the following:
Wash an ear of corn, then stick the un-shucked ear in the microwave, on "High", for about 1 minute. The ear will be hot, but MUCH easier to shuck and de-silk - the silk will come away in one bunch, easily! (Thanks to my friends at Pans on Fire for this neat trick.)
Lay the shucked/de-silked ear of corn on a piece of aluminum foil; top with about 1 Tb. butter. Wash 2-3 Padron chilies - cut them in half lengthwise, lay alongside the corn. On the other side of the corn, lay 2-3 sprigs fresh Rosemary. Sprinkle the whole lot with sea salt, then wrap tightly.

Lay this package over hot coals. You can start when the coals are still flaming, not quite ashed-over. Let sit, turning occasionally, for about 1 hour. At the end, the corn will be tender, sweet and rich from the butter, lightly redolent with the essence of rosemary. The peppers will also leave a hint of piquant sweetness. Goes well with fish and chicken. Enjoy!