How To Make Corn Salsa

Here is a quick and easy corn salsa recipe using fresh corn and habañero. This is a fine opportunity to practice knife skills as all the ingredients get chopped into somewhat uniform pieces before combining them.

Habañeros

We fell in love with habañeros on a trip to Belize. They are the chile of the Yucatan and very common in the cuisine of the area. We took a Garafuna cooking class where we went into the back yard and picked the habañeros for our dish. The plump, fruity pepper was delightful for Mr Cook, but too hot for Mrs Cook.

This recipe is naturally gluten free

Watch a Video

Here is a video of 2 Cooks in the Kitchen making Corn Salsa:

Ingredients For Corn Salsa

• 2 Ears of Corn
• 1 Tomato
• 1/2 Bunch of Cilantro
• Habanero to taste (or other hot chile)
• 2 Small Green Onions
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• Juice of 1/2 a lime

Grill the Corn

We like to start by roasting a fresh ear of corn on the grill to get a little char and some caramelized flavor on it. This step is completely optional but it adds a little something to the flavor of the salsa. Just turn it several times until it gets a little color over most of the ear of corn.

Remove the Kernels

Slicing the kernels off the ear can be messy. We have found a way to lessen that a bit. Use a wide bowl with a low side. Stand the corn in the bowl and then cut the kernels off the bottom half, turn the corn over and then cut the rest of the kernels off. They won’t spray as far this way and will stay more contained. Run the back of the knife down the cob to get the last bits and some juices into the bowl.

Cut the Tomatoes

Then we want to cut our tomatoes into cubes approximately the same size as the corn kernels. A good, sharp knife helps with this process. We cut off both ends and cut the tomato into 1/4 inch slices, stack them up and then cut 1/4 inch lines in one direction and then in the other direction.

Wash and Chop the Cilantro

Wash the cilantro. It often has little bits of dirt that you won’t want to crunch on. We like to get it at the Farmers Market so it’s good and fresh but you can find it year round at the grocery store. Pull the leaves off the stems and then chop them fairly fine.

Chop the Habañero

Now for the habañero. You want to chop this in very small pieces. Consider wearing some kitchen gloves for this job. The hot pepper oils on your hands is an invitation for disaster if you rub your eyes after. It can easily get under your fingernails where a quick rinse does not remove it. Wash your hands well with dish soap or some other soap that is good at cutting oil to remove the residue. How spicy you like your salsa will determine how much habañero you put in it. Mr Cook likes a lot and Mrs Cook likes a lot less.

Cut the Green Onions

Then we cut the green onions into small rounds and then chop those up. To cut into rounds, first remove any bad looking outside leaves. Then cut the green onion stalk into 2 to 3 inch segments, line those up and cut your rounds all at once. Then you can chop the pile of rounds using a rocking motion with the knife.

Combine With Salt, Sugar, Lime Juice and Stir

Now we just combine all these ingredients in a bowl and then stir to mix. Then add the salt, sugar and lime juice and stir some more.

Rest For 30 Minutes

This corn salsa is best if you let it sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry a bit but it can be served right away. We like this as a fresh note on Chile Rellenos, Enchiladas, etc. or just as a dip with chips.

Here are some other salsa recipes:

• Pico de Gallo
• Chipotle Ranch Dressing and Dip
• Smoky Four Pepper Salsa
• Salsa Negra
• Morita Salsa
• Arbol Salsa

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