by Ms. T
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my 11 recipes »
A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand CollapseMs. T's Notes:
Expand6 ears of fresh corn Ask a question about this ingredient
6 slices pancetta Ask a question about this ingredient
1 large red onion, peeled and diced Ask a question about this ingredient
4 tablespoons olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro Ask a question about this ingredient
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
Cook the corn on the cob in a large pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain hot water and plunge corn into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain corn and set aside to cool completely.
Ask a question about this stepDice pancetta and cook in a heavy skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
Ask a question about this stepPour off most of the pancetta fat from skillet, leaving a little goodness left in the pan for cooking your onions. Add oil, onions, vinegar, sugar, and dash of salt to pan, and cook over medium-low heat. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are caramelized and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Ask a question about this stepCut corn kernels off of the cobs and place in a large bowl. Add onion mixture and cilantro and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and if it seems dry, add a little more olive oil.
Ask a question about this stepIf you’re making this ahead of time, cover and put it in the fridge. Take salad out about 3o minutes before serving to take chill off. Stir in ccrispy pancetta just before serving.
Ask a question about this stepI was in a rush so I cheated and bought Trader Joe's frozen. Totally yum and easy. Thanks Ms. T!
Thanks--glad you liked it! And good to know that frozen corn is an option--several people have asked about that.
amanda and merrill were right about this one, i totally found myself sneaking bites of it in the kitchen before i took it out to my guests. its addictive and you cannot stop. thanks for sharing this great idea Ms. T!
Are you kidding me??? This is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Thank you for this perfect August-in-the-midwest recipe. I can't wait to bring this to a potluck and be the star.
YES!!!! This was divine.
My husband loves corn but I do not. The caramelized onions were the ingredient that drew me in. Happily, very happily, we were both delighted with the result and will prepare this dish all summer long.
Thanks for a lovely contribution to harmonious living at our house.
Made this last week (with some slight variations) for a BBQ and it was a hit!
I made this for dinner last night. It was wonderful! I cut the recipe by one third because I had 4 ears of corn. It was addictive, a great combination of flavors, and the crisp pancetta
was the star of the dish. I think this combination could be made with either raw corn or grilled corn as well.
And I just made another batch for a neighbor who has the "cilantro tastes like soap" gene, so I made a substitution of parsley for her. It was good - I prefer using cilantro - but at least makes this recipe accessible to the "no cilantro" crowd.
Glad you enjoyed it! My friend Sandra--whose recipe inspired my version--makes it with grilled corn, and our friend Chris--whose recipe inspired Sandra's--makes his with raw corn, so round and round we go :)
Ha ha, yeah, I have some anti-cilantro friends too (I love them anyway), and I have substituted basil before. Not bad, but you can't beat the cilantro!
Fresh marjoram would be perfect in this, if you don't want to use cilantro. It's corn's best friend, though many people don't realize it. Use just the tiniest amount at first, adding more to taste, especially if you're picking your marjoram leaves off of a plant that's been in full sunlight/heat all day; the flavor of raw marjoram can be intense, especially under those circumstances. I was planning on making this tonight, and have just decided to try it this way! ;o)
Made this tonight and we love it. Think it could also be good with a finely chopped Serrano pepper mixed in
Mmm, that sounds like a nice way to add a little heat. That would probably be good with grilled corn to take it in a Southwestern direction.
Thanks for the feedback--I'm so glad to hear that people are trying, enjoying, adding new twists and passing it on :)
@ yasminny: duck bacon sounds like a fantastic substitution! Where do you get duck bacon, I'd like to try that.
@ Lori Hahn: oooh, arugala and cherry tomatoes sound like a great compliment.
I love this recipe! I substituted duck bacon for pancetta and it worked very well. Addictive said my husband. Thanks for sharing Ms. T!
mmmmm, the onions carmelized in olive oil AND balsamic? they are amazing. i have a large bowl in front of me right now. i will be sure to pass it on.
Yes, this is a winner! Made it for dinner last night and served it over arugula with some sun gold cherry tomatoes!
Yummm! Cannot wait to try this dish. Caramelized onions and cilantro, delicious.
Just made this for supper -- so easy, and wonderfully delicious! This is definitely going to be making a reappearance on our table!
This salad is so delicious! We tried it for dinner last night but didn't vote because we hadn't tried the other recipe (dairy restrictions) Thanks for sharing!
Congrats! What a yummy salad, we enjoyed it very much!
Congratulations on the win, Ms. T! What a lovely summer salad.
Wow. I'm beyond thrilled. It has meant so much to me to get all these nice comments from wonderful cooks all over the place. Thank you all for making Food52 such a great community!
And thank you to my friends Chris and Sandra for the recipe inspiration. WE won!
Now on to cherry tomatoes :)
Congrats Ms. T, this is a really delicious dish!
Oh yay for you! Perfect summer salad!
Beautiful recipe! Love the combo of corn and cilantro. Add pancetta and caramelized onions-yum!
Congratulations on your winning recipe - a great contest!
Thank you so much Liz. Your corn pudding was a very worthy opponent--can't wait to try it :)
This salad is really delicious! I was actually starting to get sick of corn in salads (horrors! I know), but this has brought me back around!
Thanks--what a nice compliment :) Best to savor the corn while you can. Before you know it, you'll be sick of butternut squash and longing for the corn days...
Good point, Ms. T
lovely, I am making it tonight...three of my favorite foods-corn, carmelized onions and cilantro! BTW, I have a corn kernel remover you can have....(:
This sounds amazing! Good luck!
I would not have thought to make a reduction sauce with the balsamic and red onion but it sounds spot on. Bought corn and cilantro from yesterday's farmer's market. Can't wait to try this !!
Hi, Ms. T, So sorry I missed you in the Bay Area -what a great place to live and cook! Best of luck, Liz
It is indeed a great place to live and cook :) Thanks and best of luck to you also!
I am dying to try this recipe, Ms. T!
Thanks Ker! It would be lovely with some New England seafood, al fresco by the beach :)
Many congratulations, Ms. T! This looks really yummy! And I just noticed we're neighbors of a sort - I live in Mill Valley CA too!! I love having another food52er nearby!!
Would love to! And I just got finished with a big event this weekend and can now RELAX!
OMG I miss the Bay Area!
Thank you so much for all the lovely comments. I'm truly touched and honored to get such wonderful feedback from the cooks whose recipes have made me drool for the last several months on Food 52!
BTW, does anyone know what tool they used to cut the corn off the cob in the photo slide show? I think I need one of those! I was planning to post a question on Food Pickle to see who had tips for removing the kernels without cutting them into juicy little bits. Corn pudding is lovely, but not when you are trying to make corn salad!
Looks like the Oxo Good Grips Corn Stripper -- check it out on Amazon to see several pictures of it. I have an older Oxo corn stripper (also on see-able on Amazon) that I do not have much luck with. I used my Kuhn Rikon stripper the other day to pretty good effect, but the one in the Food52 slide show looks like it takes off more rows at a time.
P.S. The Kuhn Rikon I have is the all-metal one that looks like it has a little face, but I think I'll pick up the Oxo Food52 used -- I'm always up for a new kitchen gadget!
Correction: It's called the Oxo Good Grips Corn PEELER -- and no, I don't own stock in the company! :-)
Thanks for the tips, cookbookchick. I just noticed the link and video on Food52--I'm a little slow like that. I will definitely have to get me one of those!
My favorite tools are a good knife, a cutting board, and this technique:http://www.food52.com/blog/2259_how_to_dekernel_corn
Best of luck & congrats!
Congrats on the EP, this is on the menu for lunch tomorrow so I can decide which way to vote. Good luck!
congrats! it looks (and im sure it tastes) wonderful!
My mouth is watering just thinking about those red onions caramelized in balsamic vinegar. I can easily see using that in any number of ways. Yummmmm! ;o)
Yummy, yum yum. Congrats Mrs T - well done!
Congrats Ms. T! This looks like such a treat!
I love corn salads, and yours is beautiful. Congratulations!
Congratulations on being a finalist! Love the red onion in balsamic vinegar.
Congratulations on your EP and Luck to you on being a finalist, Ms. T! Such a delicious mixture of flavors :)
Mmmmmm, this sounds outrageously tasty. Definitely will be trying it.Tomorrow!! Congrats. ;o)
Congrats! Sounds delicious!
Congratulations! I had a feeling about your salad...looking forward to trying it soon.
Thank you so much--I'm thrilled! And special thanks to my friends Sandra and Chris, since this recipe is really inspired by theirs :)
Congrats, Ms. T! I knew this sounded awesome from the get go!
Congratulations! Can't wait to try your lovely salad!
Sounds delicious! I think I'll make this for a bbq next week!
Yum! This sounds delicious.
This sounds seriously yummy. Wish I had a bowl right now.
Thank you! Your thai creamed corn sounds delicious too--can't go wrong with the corn and cilantro combo.
T. What if you cannot find fresh corn ears? Can you use canned corn?
This is from your friendly editors at Food52.
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The ingredients for the salad: red onion, corn, olive oil, cilantro, balsamic vinegar, sugar and pancetta.
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Pancetta cubes await their fate.
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We love the color of a beautiful red onion -- especially in summer.
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Pancetta's ready!
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Using some of the fat from the pancetta, plus olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a dash of sugar, we softened the chopped red onion and let it gently caramelize.
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Yum.
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After a quick swim in boiling water, the corn cobs were stripped of their kernels.
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Lots of fresh cilantro makes this salad sing.
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We didn't want to waste even one little piece of onion!
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Mixing everything together (the pancetta patiently awaits it turn at stage left).
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Corn salad!
This is such a great way to have corn...