I make this as a salad or as an accompaniment to grilled meat or fish. I just love the colours and the sweet crisp corn. Luckily we can easily get fresh corn on the cob, year round, but if you do not have the inclination to cook it, frozen or tinned corn are both excellent. Corn, peas and potato wedges or chips are the only supermarket vegetables I will allow in my freezer!
To cook corn on the cob I always use the microwave. Pack the corn into a microwaveable dish, add about 100ml water per cob, cover with clingwrap and microwave on full power for about 3 minutes for one, add 2 minutes for each additional cob! To strip the kernels from the cob, hold the top with a clean dishtowel and secure the base on the towel….. it prevents slipping and the kernels are caught in the towel, now using a sharp knife, slice away from you. Simpy gather the towel edges and pour the kernels into your bowl.
If I am going to braai or char-grill the corn, I brush the whole cob with oil and quickly grill. It is already cooked, it just needs browning! Char-grilled corn will add another flavour dimension to the salsa, so by all means use it.
Add cubed cucumber, celery or carrot too. I detest the flavour of green pepper, so you will never see it in my recipes, but you may add it if you so desire…… just not when I’m visiting!
These quantities are merely a guideline, please feel to play around with flavours or quantities. As you know by now I add chilli generously, but you may choose to increase or omit it.
Halved cherry tomatoes are also a good addition.
Coriander sensitive folk may replace it with flat leaf parsley.
For a more substantial salad you can also add green peas.
Make a large quantity, it keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.
For a basic Sweetcorn Salsa you need
2 whole fresh sweetcorn or 1X400g can or 250-300ml frozen corn
½ red pepper, cut into small cubes
½ red onion finely chopped
2-3 red or green chillies, finely sliced. Deseed them if you want milder chilli
125ml coarsely chopped coriander
20 ml olive oil
20ml fresh lime or lemon juice
15ml honey or light brown sugar
To prepare
Simply mix all the ingredients together. If you use sugar, dissolve it in the lime juice.
Salsa served with Socca and a Paoched egg