Corn cheese with green chilli & lime

I used to frequent a small Japanese-style restaurant in a buzzing neighbourhood of Hongik University known as Hongdae, in which they sold a dish of buttered corn cooked on a hot plate topped with an egg and mysterious green sprinkles. Since then, I have learned that the non-identifiable green sprinkles on top were dried parsley and that this dish that I loved for its simplicity was an earlier incarnation of what is now famously known as Korean corn cheese. The key to this dish, for me, is to achieve crispy golden kernels by cooking the corn until it caramelizes around the edges. Savoury with a touch of sweetness, the richness of this dish is offset with zingy chilli and lime sauce. It is great on its own or serve it with some tortilla chips on the side, and definitely with some cold beers.

Credit: Toby Scott

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 25 g (1oz) unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 100 g (3½oz) mozzarella, coarsely grated
• 25 g (1oz) parmesan, grated

Chilli & lime sauce

• 2 jalapeño chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 lime, zest only, plus juice of ½ lime
• 10 g (¼oz) flat-leaf parsley, stalks included, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp golden granulated sugar
• a pinch of sea salt flakes, to taste

Sweetcorn

• 2 × 200 g (7oz) cans of sweetcorn
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp golden granulated sugar
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients for the chilli and lime sauce into a small food processor and blend until smooth and saucy; you may need to add a touch of water (about 1 tablespoon). Check for seasoning and add a pinch more salt or sugar to taste; it should have bright acidity with a touch of heat and a sweet note.
   
2. Combine the ingredients for the sweetcorn in a mixing bowl and set aside. Place a grill-safe, heavy-based frying pan or skillet (ideally a cast-iron skillet) over a medium heat. Melt the butter and sauté the onions for 5 minutes or so until softened. Stir the sweetcorn mixture into the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes to cook off some of the moisture. Spread the sweetcorn evenly across the pan. Lower the heat and scatter with both cheeses. Continue cooking for 10 minutes over low heat until the edges start to appear crisp and caramelized and the cheeses have softened and look quite pale.
   
3. Meanwhile, preheat the grill (broiler) to high.
   
4. Remove the pan from the heat and place it under the grill for 2–5 minutes to continue cooking until the cheeses melt to bubbling hot and deliciously golden. Once done, carefully transfer the pan to a heatproof surface. Generously dollop the chilli and lime sauce over the top and serve immediately.

This is an edited extract from Pocha by Su Scott published by Quadrille. Photography © Toby Scott.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.