Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)

• 4ears corn on the cob, husks removed
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• flaky sea salt
• 4 tbspmayonnaise
• 2 tbspsoured cream
• 1chipotle in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tsp of the sauce
• 30 mllime juice
• 1small garlic clove, finely grated
• ½ tspchilli-lime seasoning, divided
• ¼ tspfine salt
• 80 gvegetarian feta, crumbled
• 4spring onions, thinly sliced
• 20 gcoriander, finely chopped
• 1fresh red chilli, finely sliced (optional) (optional)
• 200 gtortilla chips, optional (optional)
• Finely grated lime zest (2 g)

Method

1. 1Get your BBQ ripping hot or set a griddle pan over high heat for a good 5 minutes until it's almost smoking; you need fierce heat to char the corn before it overcooks and goes mealy. Rub the cobs lightly with oil and season generously with salt; dry, seasoned cobs char, wet ones steam.
2. 2Lay the cobs straight onto the grill bars or griddle and char hard, turning every 2 minutes, for 8–10 minutes total. You want blackened, blistered patches on every side; properly black in spots, not just golden. That char is where the smoky-sweet flavour lives, so don't pull them early.
3. 3While the corn chars, whisk the mayonnaise, soured cream, chopped chipotle and its adobo sauce, lime zest, lime juice, grated garlic, ¼ tsp chilli-lime seasoning and fine salt together in a large bowl. Taste it: punchy, smoky, tangy enough to make you wince slightly. Adjust lime or salt now.
4. 4Stand each charred cob upright in a wide bowl (the bowl catches the kernels and stops them pinging across the kitchen) and slice down the sides with a sharp knife to strip them off. Work close to the cob but not so close you drag up the woody bit underneath.
5. 5Tip the warm kernels straight into the dressing; warm corn drinks the dressing in, cold corn just sits in it. Add three-quarters of the feta, the spring onions, most of the coriander, and the fresh chilli if using. Fold everything through, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
6. 6Spoon into a serving dish, scatter the remaining feta and coriander over the top, dust generously with reserved ¼ tsp chilli-lime seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature with optional tortilla chips alongside for scooping.

Per serving

kcal

288

protein

6.9g

fibre

2.6g

carbs

22.5g

fat

20.8g