Wait. What? How are we already approaching the end of July? I'm pretty sure it was May yesterday. And didn't we just have snow on the ground? Can we just slow things down a bit? Maybe there's been a bit too much running around these last few weeks. There was the trip to the Berkshires, followed by some time in New Jersey/New York, which went directly into a couple days on the Cape. All good, fun stuff, but, at the same time, it's all a little exhausting. Our lives slow down a bit over the next few weeks. There are plenty of projects to work on, but not as much travel. Just some Cape-time, reading, swimming, boating. Simple, quiet activities.
After all the back and forth, it was great to get into the kitchen and work on some recipes I've had in my head for quite a while. Corn is my summer obsession. Even more than tomatoes or asparagus or berries, I can't get enough corn. The thing is that I really don't like eating it on the cob and would much rather shave the kernels into a salad. The inspiration for this salsa came from my father-in-law. With my adaptation, I gave it the summer treatment by charring the corn, giving it some added flavor and texture. A good amount of spice comes from the habanero Tabasco. This stuff doesn't just have a kick... it burns. But in a good way. It's something to think about as your seasoning the salsa.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Tabasco. Over the course of the year, I will be creating recipes featuring the Tabasco Family of Flavors and this is the first of those posts. All opinions expressed on my site are my own.
You can check out my recap from my trip to visiting Tabasco here and my recipes for Smokey Shrimp Burgers and a Watermelon Shrub Spritzer.
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Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips
Notes The corn can also be prepared on a grill by removing the husk and grilling the corn kernels until charred.
Yield
Serves 6 as an appetizer
Ingredients
For the salsa
4 ears corn
1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes
Olive oil
1 teaspoon habanero Tabasco (or more depending on desired amount of spice)
1/8 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime
Salt
For the plantain chips
3 plantains, peeled and sliced 1/16" lengthwise (using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline) Vegetable oil (I used safflower oil)
Salt
Directions
For the salsa
1. Preheat a large caste iron skillet (or pan) on the stove over medium-high heat for three minutes. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Once heated, add the corn kernels and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels have charred. Remove from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together habanero Tabasco, cilantro, and lime juice. Add corn, mango, and red onion. Season with salt.
For the plantain chips
1. Pour vegetable oil in a large, deep saucepan so it comes up 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the plantain slices in batches, carefully lowering the plantain into the oil. Cook until crispy, approximately 1 minutes. Line a plate with two layers of paper towels. Transfer plantain chips to the paper towel and season with salt. Serve with corn and mango salsa
