Why this recipe works of all of summer’s produce, corn just might be our favorite as a central ingredient for fresh, vibrant salsas: Its juicy, crisp texture lights up simply prepared chicken or fish and is equally terrific with chips. Plus, corn’s natural sweetness makes it an exemplary foil for salsa’s signature spicy chiles and tart citrus juice. The key was how to handle the corn. Grilled corn was impractical and raw corn was too chewy. We found that if we added the kernels to boiling water and then let them sit off the heat for 10 minutes they acquired just the right texture. A little baking soda added to the water softened their hulls so that the kernels burst with crisp sweetness. For the other ingredients, fruits that were sweet but with a hint of acidity (like tomato, pineapple, and peach) worked well. An avocado variation made a nice change of pace. Herbs and chiles were essential additions, as was finely minced shallot. We whisked a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a tiny bit of honey into lime juice for a tangy dressing with enough body to cling to the vegetables. Do not substitute frozen corn for fresh.
MAKES: 3 cups
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 2 cups)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 tomato, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Bring 2 cups water to boil in small saucepan over high heat. Stir in corn, baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt, then let sit off heat for 10 minutes. Drain corn and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk lime juice, oil, honey, and ⅛ teaspoon salt together in bowl. Add drained corn, tomato, shallot, jalapeño, and cilantro and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
VARIATIONS:
FRESH CORN SALSA WITH AVOCADO AND TOASTED CUMIN:
- Add ½ teaspoon toasted cumin seeds and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper to lime juice mixture in step 2. Substitute 1 avocado cut into ¼-inch pieces and 3 thinly sliced scallions for tomato.
FRESH CORN SALSA WITH JICAMA AND PINEAPPLE:
- Substitute ¾ cup pineapple, cut into ¼-inch pieces, and ½ cup jícama, cut into ¼-inch pieces, for tomato. Substitute 1 minced serrano chile for jalapeño.
FRESH CORN SALSA WITH PEACHES AND RADISHES:
- Substitute 1 peeled and pitted peach, cut into ¼-inch pieces, and 4 thinly sliced radishes for tomato. Substitute 1 minced habanero chile for jalapeño, and basil for cilantro.
