Chesapeake Street Corn
June 28, 2019 by Nicole Collins
I really think Marylanders take Old Bay for granted, sometimes.
You probably think I’m a broken record stuck on “Old Bay” mode, sometimes. But, Old Bay is the official spice of Maryland, after all. Besides the fact that we put it on everything, it’s even produced here.
I forget, sometimes, that Old Bay is not a staple ingredient across the country. I just spent some time with a couple New Yorkers last weekend, and they couldn’t get over how amazing Old Bay was. In my mind, a state only 4 hours away in driving distance should automatically know the joys of Old Bay. It’s regional, but I’d consider New York to be a fairly close neighbor. I couldn’t be more wrong!
It was kind of cute, actually, how excited these ladies were about Old Bay. We had some steamed crabs, and they just kept saying “wow, this Old Bay stuff is amazing!” Then, we had a conversation about what to do with it. And, I told them that here in Maryland, we put Old Bay on everything! Pizza, popcorn, potato chips, and even dessert. These were Italians, so I spoke their language by telling them that I make a fresh tomato cream sauce for ravioli with Old Bay, too.
I promised them that the next time they were in town, I’d have a whole Old Bay spread waiting for them. Since I just so happen to work for the company that sells Old Bay, we’ve got all kinds of Old Bay gear in our employee store. Hats, and beach towels, and T-shirts galore. We also have a range of jumbo sized bottles of seasoning to pocket sized bottles of seasoning. So, I can really hook them up with all of the Old Bay goodness.
So, in the spirit of the typical Marylander that puts Old Bay on EVERYTHING, I’m re-imagining a classic Mexican street food today and giving it a Maryland style spin!
Today, we’re making Chesapeake Street Corn!
Let’s talk about the inspiration for this recipe for a sec. Have you guys ever heard of elote? If not, here’s the scoop. Elote is also know as Mexican Street Corn. It’s a cob of corn that’s been grilled until the kernels just start to char, then rubbed all over with Mexican crema (or sour cream), and topped with crumbled cotija cheese, a dusting of chili powder, and some chopped cilantro. You’ll usually see some lime on the side for serving, as well.
Does that sound more than delicious, or what?
I was reading some kind of elote style recipe, and my wheels started turning thinking about how easy it would be to swap out those classic Mexican flavors for something a little more local.
And today’s recipe was born!
But for our Chesapeake Street Corn, we’re going to swap the crema out with mayo, the cotija cheese out with crumbled feta, the lime out for grilled lemon slices, and the chili powder out with…none other than…OLD BAY! The mayo melts into our perfectly grilled corn like butter, making it the perfect glue to hold our salty feta and our spicy Old Bay onto the sweet corn. The end result is rich, creamy, and utterly delicious.
But add a squeeze of that grilled lemon to the equation, and this side dish goes from stellar to OMG. Grilling the lemon really enhances the sweetness of the fruit without losing the tartness that we love. And, the acidity from the lemon cuts right through the richness of the cheese and mayo to a create a perfectly harmonious bite.
This is such a fun summer dish to make that switches up the ol’ regular corn on the cob routine. And, it’s worth every last bit of messy goodness all over your face after you dive head first into that creamy, sweet corn.
Ok, guys! I hope you’ve enjoyed our week of grilled food! But, the summer is still young! So, what should we grill next? Send me some ideas!
Oh, and you're welcome for setting you up with two AMAZING grilling recipes riiiiiiight before the biggest grilling holiday of the year!
Until then…let’s eat!
Chesapeake Street Corn
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
4 ears of corn, husks removed
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled well
¼ – ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
canola oil, for brushing
chopped parsley and grilled lemon slices, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Lightly brush grill grates with canola oil. Place corn directly on the grill. Grill with the lid open for about 15 mins until some of the kernels start to char, turning the cobs every 2-3 mins. Remove from heat.
Immediately after removing corn from the grill, spread 1 tbsp mayonnaise all over each corn cob. Place on a serving platter. Top corn with crumbled feta and desired amount of Old Bay. Serve with parsley and grilled lemon slices, if desired.
Recipe notes:
*To grill lemon slices, cut lemon slices about ¼ inch thick. Place slices directly on oiled grates with corn. Grill for about 5 mins per side until the lemon slices start to char. If you give the corn a little squeeze of the grilled lemon before you bite in, it helps to break up some of the richness from the mayo and cheese. But, it's totally optional!
*If the weather is icky or it's not grilling season, you can char the corn under the broiler! Place corn on a foil lined sheet tray, pop it under the broiler, and broil for about 10 mins, turning every 2-3 mins, until the kernels start to char.
*The amount of Old Bay you use depends on how spicy you like it! I used ½ tsp, of course.
*For you doxie (or doggo) moms and dads like me, these are the corn holders I use.
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