Cotija Corn

Cotija Corn on the Cob

For those of you who love corn on the cob, this is the ultimate in decadant corn. I can't remember the first time I had this, but you will often see it on Mexican restaurant menu's. Cotija cheese is considered the 'parmesean cheese' of Mexico. It's a semi hard cows milk cheese that reminds me of a combination of feta and parmesean. It's sprinkled over grilled corn on the cob that has been slathered in a spicy butter mixture. What could be better? Corn, Butter, Cheese?!?! You don't have to grill the corn, but it's definitely worth the effort. There is nothing better than the smell of fresh corn grilling. Finding cotija cheese takes a bit of effort, unless you have a mexican grocery store in the neighborhood, something southern new jersey is seriously lacking! I found some at Wegman's, I would also try a specialty cheese store. You can use parmesean cheese instead, but if you can find cotija - DO IT! Feel free to take liberties with the spices - add or subtract based on your preferences. To me, the lime and chives really make it spectacular. Another thing to keep in mind - good corn makes the dish! Sweet, white corn is the best!

origin - Bobby Flay
difficulty - simple

8 ears corn 4 fresh limes, quartered Garlic butter, recipe follows 1/2 cup grated cotija cheese *can substitute parmesean if necessary 2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish Preheat grill to medium. Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak in large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. *very important step in order for the corn to produce enough steam to cook. Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes. Unwrap corn and brush with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with the cotija cheese and squeeze with lime. Sprinkle with chopped chives, to garnish. Garlic Butter: 2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened 8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped *I use shallots 1/4 habanero pepper, seeded *I use a few shakes of red pepper 1/4 bunch fresh chives Salt and freshly ground black pepper Combine butter, garlic, habanero, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.