Charred Jalapeño Creamed Corn
Creamed corn is one of those barbecue sides that I really like, but also rarely get because it's kind of a gamble on whether or not it will be the type that leaves me happy. I've had enough watery and bland creamed corns that I've been conditioned to be weary of ordering it when there's safer bets, but I'm always left wondering if I'm missing out because when creamed corn is thick, rich, and has a deep corn sweetness, it can be one of my favorite sides. At last year's Carne-val I decided to make my own ideal creamed cream, but went even further with making it a dish tailored to my personal tastes by adding some cheese and roasted jalapeños into the mix, which ended up hitting a home run for both myself and my guests.
My default corn preparation has become grilling shucked ears directly over hot coals, which cooks them fast and leaves them with a nice char all over. That char also adds a lot of flavor, so much so that non-grilled corn tastes a bit bland to me now. I was doing a double recipe this day, which had me grilling off sixteen ears of corn, and while that sounds like a lot, I could get twelve ears on the grill at once, and since they cooked fast, finishing off those remaining four wasn't much of a hassle.
While I had the grill going, I didn't see any reason not to also grill the jalapeños. Since this was a new recipe, I wasn't sure how many peppers were going to be the right amount to add heat without being overwhelming, so I chose four large jalapeños and cooked them until charred all over. Once done, they were rested in a covered container until cooled, and then I removed the skins, stems, and seeded each one.
I completed the corn prep by cutting the kernels from the ears. After finishing them all, the pile of corn was pretty large and I wondered if I may have overdone it a bit on the quantity.
Since I haven't made a ton of creamed corn in my life, I did some internet research on how folks achieve their creaminess. That ended up varying from recipe to recipe with some opting to use cream cheese, others using heavy cream only, some people baking the entire thing to thicken it up, and finally the roux and half-and-half method. I went with the last one since I figured making a roux and then adding liquid until I hit the right consistency would provide me with the most control in achieving the desired final thick, but still very spoonable, texture that I was after.
Once I got to that consistency, I added the corn in and let it cook until warmed up. I then removed a couple cups of the corn mixture and gave it whirl in the blender before adding it back into the pot.
At this point I started to add in the jalapeños a bit at a time until I got that distinct fruitiness and a bit of heat without it becoming overly spicy. Some cotija cheese went in next, and that's where my originally written recipe ended, but the dish didn't feel complete yet. I had a lot of scallions on hand, so I slice a bunch up and added them in and the oniony taste and little crunch they added made it feel complete.
Between cooking and serving, the heat of the jalapeños increased and I had concerns that it might be too spicy for some folks, but I watched happily as some guests that I knew don't do a lot of spicy foods were enjoying this creamed corn. It was no surprise to me that this creamed corn recipe that I crafted for my own taste buds was one of my favorites I've ever had. First, the charred corn added a depth of flavor that introduced extra savory notes to the still upfront sweetness. Next, the sugary profile was contrasted by the heat of the jalapeños, while their fruity touch was totally at home with the corn. Lastly, the creamy factor was just right with a good thickness and a boost of saltiness too from the cotija that melded in. While it seemed like an almost full dutch oven of creamed corn would be way too much, I had very little left at the end of the day, a testament to how loved creamed corn can be when it's at its best.
