All Ears

🌽 corn and coconut are a match made in heaven🌽

Jun 11, 2023

I love corn. I grew up near Brentwood in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta when most of the area was still farmland. Brentwood corn is some of the sweetest, hands down the best corn that this country grows and every summer my mom would drive us out to the farm stands and load up. All these years later, I still can’t find corn as perfect and sweet as I remember from my childhood. LA farmers markets rarely have great corn and grocery stores get worse every year. This week’s recipe is all about maximizing the deliciousness of corn that is solidly mid.

Coconut and corn are a match made in culinary heaven. But before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about the difference between coconut cream, coconut milk, and lite coconut milk. You can use any of these for the recipe because the only real difference is the fat to liquid ratio. A standard can of coconut milk sits between 10-15% fat, that milky white part that solidifies at the top of the can if it sits too long. Lite coconut milk has more liquid added so that its less than 9% fat. That’s why in Book 1 I told you guys not to fuck with that lite stuff because it costs the same, sometimes more, than regular coconut milk. Still want to cook with lite coconut milk? Buy a regular can and add more water or broth. Easy. Coconut cream is the fattiest of the three, with each can falling between 19-25% fat. Sometimes it’s sold sweetened, mostly for cocktails and the occasional dessert. We don’t need that kind, just buy unsweetened unless otherwise directed.

I’m noticing more frequently that some cans of coconut milk and cream have added thickeners or emulsifiers like guar gum. There’s no need for that shit since coconut milk in all its forms is meant to separate when it sits. We can shake up the can or let it all melt back together when it’s warmed up. Guar gum can irritate some people’s stomach, so I don’t need it floating around in my food where it isn’t absolutely necessary. Look for coconut milk cans where the ingredients list is just coconut and water. Anything else is unnecessary. Now for the recipe.

This is dead easy. You are basically just making a basting liquid for your corn that you will brush over as it cooks and right when it comes off the grill for maximum flavor. I like coconut cream for this recipe since there isn’t any other added fat but use whatever you like or have on hand. This recipe makes more sauce than you should need so feel free to use it on veggie kebabs too and put them on the grill when they corn is halfway grilled since they cook so much faster. I made kebabs with zucchini, onions, button mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes to serve alongside the corn and they were perfect. I served all this with some rice, black beans, and my current obsession, the Everyday Cabbage Slaw from our new book Hungry as Hell that comes out this October. I sprinkled some sesame seeds over the whole thing for some added flair. If you still have some of the sauce left, add it to the peanut sauce recipe I shared a couple weeks ago for a different take on that addictive flavor. I served some leftover kebabs with soba noodles drenched in that coconut peanut butter sauce and that meal got devoured before I could take a decent pic. As it should be.

Grilled Coconut Cream Corn and Kebabs

Makes enough for 4 with leftovers

One 13.5 ounce can unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional but delicious
Zest from two limes
2 tablespoons lime juice, about 1 big lime
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander or cumin
2 cloves of garlic, grated
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro or green onions for garnish
4-6 large ears of corn, husk and silk removed
10 raw veggie kebabs or more ears of corn
Warm up the coconut cream in the microwave or stove top until it’s hot like a cup of coffee. Whisk in the brown sugar until it dissolves. Whisk in the lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, coriander, and garlic cloves grated on whatever you zested the lime with. Brush this sauce over your prepared ears of corn and whatever veggie kebabs you’ve got going on and let them sit in this while you warm up the grill. You can also do this the night before to save on prep time.
When you’re ready to cook, warm up the grill or your grill pan to a medium high heat. Place the corn on first and close the lid. Every 3 minutes or so, turn the corn and bast on some more coconut sauce until the ears are charred all the way around, up to 12 minutes depending on the heat of your grill. When the corn is about half done add the kebabs and cook them until they are charred on both sides, about 5 minutes. When everything is charred to perfection, brush on some more coconut sauce, and a little salt and pepper. Let them cool for a minute or two then serve sprinkle with some cilantro or green onions as part of your cookout spread or with some rice, beans, and cabbage slaw for a perfect meal.
Grilled Coconut Cream Corn And Kebabs Recipe
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