SERVES 6 TO 8
During a recent corn season, I made this corn and water chestnut relish to go with a plate of fried won-ton stuffed with crabmeat and corn (page 360). It was so good that we all spooned it onto lettuce leaves and wolfed it down for our staff dinner.
Fresh corn and fresh water chestnuts are de rigueur. If you don’t have them, don’t bother making this.
My love of Chinese cooking is a wedding to a tradition rather than a caring for authenticity. Yin and yang—the spirit of contrast and opposition that is the energy of the Chinese diet—is my culinary imperative. Eyes on this, it doesn’t much matter that I introduce non-Chinese ingredients in a dish (baby lettuces, red bell peppers, corn, ruby chard, and the like), as long as the yin-yang reading is delightful on the tongue. I wouldn’t be interested in butter and cream because they mask a vividness of flavor that Chinese insist upon in their food. But I would be enthusiastic about tossing into a stir-fry a vegetable that, while very American in origin, had great color and crunch.
It’s hard to define, this odd land where the spirit of a cuisine has eccentricity and integrity both. But that’s our country, here at China Moon.
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
6 to 8 fresh water chestnuts, finely diced
¼ cup thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
DRESSING:
⅓ cup Five-Flavor Oil (page 13)
2 tablespoons Serrano-Lemongrass Vinegar (page 19)
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon Roasted Szechwan Pepper-Salt (page 5)
Finely slivered coriander leaves and stems and/or chive blossoms, for garnish
1. Blanch the corn in rapidly boiling water for 5 seconds. Drain immediately and plunge into ice water to chill. Drain thoroughly.
2. Combine the corn, bell pepper dice, water chestnut dice, and scallions in a large bowl. Toss well to mix. Seal and refrigerate, if working in advance.
3. In a small bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients through the pepper-salt to emulsify. If you are working in advance, leave the whisk alongside the bowl.
4. Just before serving, whisk the dressing to re-emulsify. Add it to the corn mixture and toss to combine. Add the coriander and/or chive blossoms and toss to mix. Taste and add a dash more pepper-salt if needed to bring out the sweetness of the corn.
5. Serve promptly in dishes that show off the color of the corn.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: True to its origin, this relish is a great accompaniment to fried and poached won-ton and to steamed and boiled dumplings. It is also delicious in lettuce leaf boats and alongside burgers, ham, or steamed or grilled fish—anywhere that sweet crispness is welcome.