Grilled Sweetcorn and Feta Salad with Lime
- Savory
- Quick
- Mexican
- Barbecue
Charred sweetcorn tossed with crumbled feta, torn coriander and a squeeze of lime. A bright, savory side that comes together on the barbecue.
- Total
- 21 min
- Prep 6 · Cook 15
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Grilling · Zesting
Instructions
-
Heat the barbecue to medium-hot direct heat. While it heats, strip the husks and silks from the sweetcorn and cut each cob in half crosswise.
~4 min
Cutting the cobs in half gives more cut surfaces and manageable pieces, so they char evenly instead of burning at the ends.
-
Melt the butter in a small bowl set at the edge of the barbecue, or in short bursts over the coals, until liquid. Stir in the olive oil, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
~2 min
Mixing butter with oil raises the smoke point and helps the fat cling to the kernels, so the seasoning coats evenly and less burns.
-
Brush the sweetcorn pieces all over with the butter mixture and grill over direct heat, turning with tongs every 2 to 3 minutes, until charred in spots and the kernels are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
~13 min
Frequent turning lets each side blister without scorching, and the charred spots are where the sweet, toasted flavor develops.
Grill the corn until some kernels are deep brown and blistered; those charred spots carry most of the flavor, so do not pull the cobs off while they are still pale.
Grilling Set up direct medium-hot heat and turn the cobs every few minutes. Watch for deep brown blisters rather than pale kernels, and move pieces to a cooler spot if they start to blacken.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the sweetcorn grills, zest the lime into a small bowl, then squeeze in 1 tbsp lime juice. Pick the coriander leaves and crumble the feta into rough pieces.
~3 min
Zesting Zest only the thin colored outer layer, stopping before the white pith, which is bitter. Grate lightly and rotate the lime as you go.
-
Cut the kernels from the grilled cobs into a bowl. Toss with the lime zest and juice, crumbled feta and coriander leaves. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed, then serve warm.
~2 min
Tossing while the corn is still warm helps the feta soften slightly and the lime and butter coat every kernel.
