Grilled Corn in Creamy Sriracha Sauce was inspired by a side of corn I ordered last week at The Little Owl in West Village, New York. And to think we almost passed this dish by. James had their delicious, highly recommended sliders in a spicy tomato sauce, and I had the best Eggplant Parmesan I had ever eaten. That was all we intended to order, but everything on the surrounding tables looked so good. We just had to try a few more of their dishes, and our server suggested we try the corn. Just corn. It sounded kind of boring to me, but I went with it and oh my goodness! It was the best “just corn” I’d ever tasted.
It was a perfect compliment to both of our tomato sauce dishes. As soon as I arrived back in Scottsboro, I started trying to recreate this corn dish. This morning I think I did it! You really need to read more about our trip to the famous little owl restaurant (where the TV show, Friends, was filmed) and see the delicious food pictures I took of their sliders and Eggplant Parmesan, here is the link: http://www.eatwritepacklight.com/west-village-favorite-restaurant/ Make sure to compare the pictures of my dish to theirs and leave your comments. Even though I don’t know their exact recipe, I think they look pretty close to the same. What do you think?
I started with grilled corn of course. If you don’t have a grill or you are not too comfortable with grilling, I guess you could you try my four minute microwave version (place the whole corn in the microwave for 4 minutes). I really like the grill taste in this so try to grill it if you can, and It’s not that difficult.
I follow this recipe from the food network: Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. Strip away the silk from each ear of corn by hand. Fold husks back into place, and place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes.Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the husks and eat on the cob or remove the kernels. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/perfectly-grilled-corn-on-the-cob
While the corn is grilling, I saute’ finely chopped onions in a skillet with olive oil. I also mix up a sauce from Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise and Sriracha. I think The Little Owl restaurant uses sour cream and real mayonnaise (at least that’s what it tasted like), but I always try to cut a few calories and recreate a healthier version of all the recipes I find. You can try it both ways and let me know the difference.
While the corn is cooling, I mix up the sauce. I add 2 parts Greek Yogurt to 1 Part Mayonnaise. I love to substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, and when it is mixed with other ingredients, my family never notices the difference. After the two are blended, I sprinkle a few drops of Sriracha until it has a salmon color like this:
This is the secret ingredient that gives this recipe a creamy, spicy, comforting taste. I have my recipe listed below, but you can play around with the proportions to get the taste you like best. One of the cooks in our cooking class in New York told me that a recipe is just a guide. A real cook knows how to adjust the ingredients with taste, appearance, and touch. I really liked her comment because I sometimes forget to measure. That’s how my parents taught me to cook, and I just thought it was a Cajun thing. We just add and taste and add and taste and when it looks right and tastes right, it usually is.
When the corn is cool enough to touch, shave it from the kernel and add it to the skillet of onions. Add the creamy Sriracha sauce and roughly blend. Put it all in a large bowl and stir in a cup of good Italian cheese. I buy mine fresh and shred or shave it, but of course, you may be able to find something already shredded. I like to use Percorino or Fontina. The corn will melt the cheese a bit, but I like to have it half melted and just warm enough to soften it. Just talking about this corn recipe is making my mouth water. Can you see the little shavings of cheese in this picture?
I think this pairs well with any dish with tomatoes or tomato sauce. Corn and tomatoes just work well together, and that’s what we had in New York. I took this to work yesterday, and my co-workers had a few suggestions for using this recipe as a dip. I thought it was a great idea and especially since it’s football season. Just add a can of Rotel canned tomatoes instead of the Sriracha, and it would definitely go great with Scoops. Football games are on right now, and James is starving so I think I’ll go try it.
- 6 ears of grilled corn
- ½ onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
- 1 couple of splashes of Sriracha sauce
- 1 cup of Italian Cheese (Percorino, Fontina, or Parmigiano-Reggiano), shaved
- Salt, Pepper, Olive oil to taste
- Grill corn for about 15- 20 minutes.
- While corn is grilling, saute onion in olive oil until translucent
- Let the corn cool and mix the sauce.
- In a bowl add the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. Blend well and add a few splashes of Sriracha until the creamy sauce becomes a salmon color. Add more if you like it really spice and add more Mayonnaise and Yogurt if you want it really creamy. Adjust it to your taste buds.
- Shave the corn off the kernels and add it to the onion in the skillet.
- Add the yogurt sauce and blend roughly.
- Remove the mixture from the skillet and put in a bowl.
- Stir in the cheese and taste. If it needs salt or more spice, add a little more salt and pepper.
Please leave comments and let me know what you think. I’d also like to hear if you like it as a dip with the Rotel Tomatoes. Sounds Yummy!
