Chipotle Corn Salad with Grilled Bacon
If there's a vegetable that loves the grill, it's corn. Caramelizing the natural sugars, adding a little bit of chipotle heat, then kissing it with a little bacon . . . the only thing I warn you is that you cannot live on this alone. You must eat other things.
- Total: 30 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
6 ears of corn, in the husk
4 slices applewood smoked bacon
2 poblano peppers
2 scallions
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced sweet onion
Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon agave syrup
1 chipotle in adobo, minced, plus
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground
Directions
Special equipment:
Grill- Carefully peel back the husks from the corn without detaching them from the bottom. Remove the silk from the corn, fold the husks back around the ears, and soak the ears in water for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Weigh down the ears so they are fully submerged.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high.
- Drain the corn, open the husks, and dry the ears with paper towels. Fold the husks back over the corn and grill, turning often, for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning 3 times.
- While the corn is grilling, grill the bacon on the other half of the grill until crispy and golden brown and the poblanos and scallions until charred. Remove all items and set aside.
- Once the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cob, finely dice the scallions, seed and dice the poblano, and chop the bacon into bite-size pieces, placing everything in a large bowl. Mix in the bell pepper and onion.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Dress the salad lightly and serve.
Cook’s Note
Mise en place everything ahead of time on this one-chop everything, roast the poblanos, and cook the bacon. The dressing can be made 1 or 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge. But cooking and shucking the corn is best left to the last minute, as the corn will stay nice and bright and juicy.
