Corn and Tomato Salad with Spicy Bagna Cauda and Roasted Peanuts
As I’m drafting this post, I realize that Sly Rooster is at risk of becoming Sly Rooster Corn and Tomato but this is a good one because it’s not solely reliant on peak of the season produce, although no one would complain, but features a flavorful dressing that would be great on just abut anything.
Corn and Tomato Salad with Spicy Bagna Cauda and Roasted Peanuts is a recipe from Molly Baz. If you are familiar with Molly, you know that she has a propensity to deliver recipes that POP! I discovered Molly via Bon Appetit and in what I hope is not a condescending way, feel as though I have watched her grow from a young test kitchen workhorse to a more mature culinary powerhouse. In the wave of racial inequality revelations, Molly left Bon App and is now developing her own brand with a paid subscription newsletter and a new interactive cookbook called Cook This Book. She has her own language with cheeky abbreviations (Cae Sal, anyone?) and her recipes have a recognizable punch.
This recipe for Corn and Tomato Salad with Spicy Bagna Cauda and Roasted Peanuts is indicative of Molly’s culinary wizardry. Here she takes a traditional Italian dipping oil (bagna cauda) and turns it into an amped up dressing for what could be a typical corn, tomato, cilantro, lime salad. And then she turns it up a couple of notches with some feta for creaminess and roasted peanuts for crunch. Thank you, Molly. I actually believe that this same treatment would be great during the winter months on a pan of roasted brocollini.
Bottomline, make this dish now so that you get the gist of the flavor party that this recipe delivers and then take it from there. You might find yourself keeping a jar of bagna cauda in your fridge to toss on pretty much anything. That is my plan, for sure. Enjoy!
Corn and Tomato Salad with Spicy Bagna Cauda and Roasted Peanuts
Ingredients
PRODUCE
- 4 ears sweet corn or 3 cups, frozen corn defrosted
- 8 cloves garlic
- 6 scallions
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 pint Sungold or cherry tomatoes
- 3 3 limes
PANTRY
- 6 oil-packed anchovy filets
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp red pepper flake or 2 teaspoons Aleppo
- 3/4 c roasted, salted peanuts
- kosher salt
DAIRY
- 4 oz feta cheese
Instructions
Char the corn
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Shuck 4 ears of corn. Arrange them in the skillet in a single layer. Char, turning once every 4-5 minutes until blackened in some spots, all over, 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can char on the grill. If using frozen corn kernals, char in the cast iron skillet.
Make the spicy bagna cauda
- While the corn chars, firmly smash and peel 8 garlic cloves. Combine the smashed garlic, 6 anchovy fillets, and ½ cup olive oil in a small pot (the smaller the better). Set over low heat and cook, swirling occasionally, until the garlic is bursting open, and softened, but not browned 8-12 minutes. If your burners run hot, move the pot off to one side of the burner to reduce the intensity–you’re looking for a very, very low flame. Once the garlic has softened some, use a fork to mash the cloves into the oil, and continue to cook until the insides are soft and the garlic is stringy and dispersed, 2-4 minutes longer. This timeframe will greatly depend on the power of your burners so pay attention to the visual indicators more than the timing. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Let cool slightly, mashing occasionally as it cools to continue to break up the garlic.
Cut some things
- Thinly slice 6 scallions crosswise.
- Finely chop ¾ cup roasted, salted peanuts.
- Finely chop the leaves and tender stems of 1 bunch of cilantro.
- Cut 1 pint of Sungold tomatoes in half.
- Add all of the above to a large bowl.
- Stand each ear of corn upright in the bowl (with all the stuff) and cut the corn kernels off the cob and right into the bowl. (obviously, you can skip this step if using kernals).
Finish
- Crumble 4 ounce feta into the bowl. Pour the spicy bagna cauda dressing over and gently toss everything to combine.
- Squeeze the juice of 3 limes into the salad. Toss well and taste for seasoning, it may or may not need salt depending how salty your cheese and anchovies are.
- Serve at room temperature, or chill for up to 4 hours.
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