Author Notes: Granted, it’s been several months since this salad has seen the light of day — but it’s in the dead of winter that I most crave this delightfully smoky salad of fresh corn and juicy, ripe cherry tomatoes. Charring the corn kernels gives the salad a smoky flavor, and smoked paprika and roasted chiles amp up the heat. —Rivka
Serves: 4
Ingredients
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6
ears corn, husks and fibers removed
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1/2
red onion, diced
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4
poblano chiles
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1
jalapeño, diced finely
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1
pound cherry tomatoes
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1
tablespoon corn oil
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1/2
teaspoon smoked spanish paprika
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olive oil
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salt
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juice and zest of 1 lime
Directions
- Roast poblanos over an open flame, turning to blister skin on all sides. When fully blistered, turn off heat and transfer peppers to a paper bag or roll inside tinfoil. let steam for 5 minutes, then rub with damp cloth to remove skins, running under water only if necessary (it detracts from the flavor of the chile). Chop roughly and set aside.
- Heat castiron pan over high heat. Remove corn from cob, and combine with chopped onions and jalapeño, if using. Add 1 tablespoon corn oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan and immediately add corn mixture. Toss to coat, then let sit for 30 seconds at a time to develop a real char on the kernels. Add smoked paprika, and add salt to taste.
- Keep tossing and charring, tossing and charring, until there are enough brown spots to give some serious smoky flavor. Remove from heat, add tomatoes, and toss to combine. Transfer to a plate, drizzle with extra olive oil if desired, and zest and squeeze 1 fresh lime over salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.