Makes 4 servings
Many years ago, on a very cold afternoon in Kyoto, Michael and I warmed ourselves by eating grilled corn on the cob bought from a street vendor. The corn was sweet and salty and comforting and tasted different from any corn I’d ever had at home. I didn’t try to figure out what made it so wonderful; I just assumed that, like everything else that we ate on that trip, it was touched by some kind of Japanese culinary wizardry. And then, one afternoon in Connecticut, I made this sautéed corn seasoned with miso, and Michael and I simultaneously declared it reminiscent of that by-now-mythical Kyoto corn. Was miso the secret? I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s wonderful in this dish.
I add za’atar to the corn. If you don’t have it, you can use a mix of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram and, if you’d like, a few sesame seeds. Or, if you want to stay in Japan, sprinkle the corn with some furikake (a dried spice mixture often used to season rice) and swap togarashi (another Japanese blend) for the cayenne.
If you want to turn this into a main course, see recipe for a version that includes quickly sautéed squid.
Working Ahead
The corn can be made up to a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature and reheat it with a little water in a skillet until the corn is hot and the water has evaporated. You could do this in the microwave, but the corn will become quite soft.
Mix the miso and water together to smooth and loosen the miso. You’re unlikely to be completely successful, but that’s fine.
Place a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the corn and cook for a minute, without stirring, then stir and cook for another minute, or until the kernels are charred here and there. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the butter and miso mixture and cook, stirring and scraping up whatever you can of what’s stuck to the pan, until the butter and miso melt and the water evaporates. Turn off the heat, add the za’atar, salt and hot pepper and stir to blend well.
Scrape the corn into a bowl and stir in the chives (and/or scallions and/or herbs), as well as the black pepper, if you’re using them. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Cut 1 pound cleaned squid into rings about a scant ½ inch thick; pat dry. (I use bodies for this, but tentacles are fine too; if there are tentacles, cut them into bite-sized morsels.) Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil (in addition to what you need for the corn) into the skillet you’ll use for the corn later and place over high heat. Add the squid and cook, turning, for about 30 seconds, until the rings are almost opaque all the way through — they’ll finish cooking with the corn. (It’s better to undercook than overcook squid.) Transfer the squid to a plate, season with salt and pepper — add a little hot pepper, if you’d like — and set aside. If any bits have stuck to the pan, wipe them out, then make the corn. When the corn is ready, add the squid and toss to reheat and finish cooking. Season as the recipe directs and then, just before serving, stir in some chopped sweet onion and halved cherry tomatoes. If you’d like, toss some mizuna, mustard greens and/or arugula with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and line the serving platter with this salad. Give the corn and squid a good squeeze of lime juice, toss once more and serve.