Grilled Grit Cakes with Grilled Corn and Grilled Corn-Green Chile Relish

Ingredients

For the grilled grit cakes:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for grilling the cakes
• 1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups shrimp stock (chicken stock or vegetable stock can be substituted)
• 1 cup white stone-ground cornmeal
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ears perfectly grilled corn, kernels removed

For the grilled corn-green chile relish:

• 6 ears perfectly grilled corn, kernels removed
• 2 poblano chiles, grilled, peeled, seeded and finely diced
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the grilled grit cakes:

Directions

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 11-inch baking pan and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until completely reduced.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, stirring until it begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, switch to a wooden spoon, and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture is smooth and soft, about 20 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, stir in some water, it should be a pourable consistency. Stir in the corn kernels and pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Cut the cornmeal mixture into even squares.

Heat the grill to high. Brush the cakes on both sides with some of the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the cakes until golden brown and slightly charred on each side, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and top each cake with some of the relish.

For the grilled corn-green chile relish:

Combine the corn, chiles, onion, lime juice, honey, oil and cilantro in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let the relish sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. The relish can be made 8 hours in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.