Mexican Corn Salad

Begin by adding the whole ears of corn with husks on into a large pot of water. Bring that to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the corn soak until you are ready to grill it. During this time, put your diced onions into a bowl, cover them with water and allow them to soak.

Make the dressing by adding the mayonnaise to a mixing bowl. Add in the salt, cumin, cayenne and garlic powder and give that a good mix. Put it in the refrigerator until you’re ready for it.

Empty the contents of the bag of frozen corn into a small pot and bring that to a simmer for about 20 minutes and then set that aside.

Next, fire up your grill. Remove the husks and silk from the ears of corn and set aside. Drain the frozen corn you were cooking and add that to a large mixing bowl. Drain the onions and add them to the bowl of corn. Add the green peppers, carrots, cucumbers and cilantro as well.

Lay the whole ears of corn onto the grill over direct heat, as well as the lime halves. Cook the corn for a few minutes, rotating them a few times. Continue cooking until the corn caramelizes and turns golden on all sides. Once you achieve that, remove them from the grill, along with the limes. You will notice that the limes are super juicy at this point in time.

Let the corn and limes cool for about 5 minutes. Take a knife and run it down the ears of corn, removing all of the kernels. Add those corn kernels to the mixing bowl. Add in the cheese. Squeeze the limes into the bowl of mayonnaise mixture.

Add the dressing to the corn salad and mix well until everything is incorporated. Give it a nice taste and season with any additional salt.

You end up with a corn salad that is not only full of flavor but also full of color. The mayonnaise and cayenne give you a nice Mexican flavor, but then you get wonderful crunch from the carrots, cucumbers and peppers.

This Mexican corn salad presents itself on its own. Watching the people around me, I could tell they were really enjoying it and the large bowl was nearly empty when the party was over. That’s always a good sign. I hope you enjoy.