Corn Dinner: First Course, Grilled Corn on the Cob

Yesterday, chef Renee Marton served up corn nibbles to munch on with drinks. Today, the first course of her all corn dinner–grilled corn on the cob with jalapeno oil and garlic chips.

Grilled corn on the cob with basil jalapeno oil and garlic chips

One ear of corn per person, for 4 servings
Step 1
Garlic chips:
6 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
½ cup olive oil

Heat olive oil in pan.  When hot but not smoking add garlic slices. This step will happen quickly if the oil is hot.  As soon as the slices are light brown, remove them with a slotted spoon.  Let the oil cool.   You will use it to make the basil oil. Note: don’t let the oil smoke—if you do, throw it out and use fresh olive oil for the basil oil recipe.

Step 2
Basil Oil
1 large bunch of basil, washed and dried, leaves removed.
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
½ cup olive oil, plus the ½ cup of oil from the garlic chips.

Place the basil, jalapeno and oils in the blender.  Blend on medium speed for 2 minutes, then high speed for at least 2 minutes.  The mixture should be very liquid when you are finished.  Add ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper and ½ teaspoon salt.  Blend another 30 seconds. Let the mixture come to room temperature.

Strain the oil through a metal or plastic mesh strainer, pressing it to get all the flavored oil out.  Keep it refrigerated.  This oil will last one week.

Step 3
4 ears of corn, husked and de-silked
¼ cup olive oil and a pastry brush
One hot grill

Once the garlic chips are made and the basil oil is finished, grill the corn directly on the grill, after brushing the ears with olive oil.  Turn them as soon as grill marks appear, and don’t cover them completely with grill marks.  When they are hot and somewhat marked, they are ready to eat.

To serve:

Give each person a bowl with some basil jalapeno oil and garlic chips mixed into it, plus one ear of grilled corn.   Dunking the corn into the sauce or brushing it on—both ways of eating the corn work.