jalapeño street corn hummus
Getting spicy with our weekend appetizer on this Friday.
Chili oil seems to be having a moment in the culinary world right now, in part because of how aesthetic the bright scarlet hue proves on many dishes, and, hopefully more so, because it’s damn delicious to toss on nearly everything. It’s a pretty unfussy condiment, one you can dress in whatever herbs you have around and don’t even need to refrigerate. I keep a jar in my cabinet as often as I can for quick-fix heat cravings, especially when I make mushroom ramen.
Enjoy a leveled-up appetizer with this Jalapeño Street Corn version, a play off the well-known Mexican elote but instead of mayo, the warm grilled corn mixture sits on a bed of hummus. Get playful with a crispy tortilla serving bowl, and of course extra chips on the side for dipping.
Chili oil brings a measure of spice to the dish. You can make your own chili crisp, as I recommend and for which I’ve provided a formula, or get some from the store to use in a pinch. Really, this hummus can be as intensely homemade as you’d like, or just semi-homemade.
Definitely Not Ho-Hum
Chili crisp oil is a condiment that can hang out for awhile, so I start here to let the flavors meld as much as I can. If you’ve got an hour or so to spare, I love to make the chili oil well ahead of time. You can also buy chili oil if you’re in a pinch.
To make, heat a high smoke point oil until shimmering. Think peanut, sunflower, safflower, or canola oils. Throw some garlic, ginger, chives, and red pepper flakes in a heat proof bowl and pour the hot oil overtop. Watch it shimmer and sizzle for a moment, then let it do it’s thang while you do your thang with the rest of the dish.
Bowl Life
For an extra special touch, I love to make a tortilla bowl to serve the hummus in. A totally optional step, but a really nice touch and one your guests will remember. Or just you, if you ain’t sharing. Don’t blame you.
All you need is a medium-sized oven proof bowl or skillet. Spray the vessel, then mold a burrito-sized flour tortilla into the space. Bake at 425 for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Boom. Edible bowl. Pretty nifty, huh?
Take It to the Street (Corn)
Next, roast the corn. I like to use my grill pan, but you can use a regular skillet or an actual grill for this. The levels of char might differ between the three methods. I slather the cobs in butter and turn them on the grates every 2-3 minutes until all sides are nice and deeply browned. Let them cool until you can comfortably handle them, then strip off the kernels with a serrated knife.
Like I said, this isn’t exactly an elote, or street corn, but more of a nod to the popular combo. I mix the roasted corn with fresh cilantro, feta (or cotija, which is standard), a touch of smoked paprika, a bit of the chili oil, lime juice, a diced jalapeño, and some salt and pepper to taste.
Now, the best part: putting the hummus together. Grab your tortilla bowl and dump a bunch of hummus inside, spreading it about to make nice swooshes. Spoon the roasted corn mixture atop and drizzle with a bit more chili oil if you want more spice. By the way, you’ll have lots of chili oil to squirrel away in your pantry like I do.
How do I serve this? Tortilla chips (because of the Mexican flare in the flavors), fresh pita, and some chopped veggies like cucumber or carrots. You can also use any leftovers as a sandwich or wrap spread. So good. And this recipe is so pleasing to look at, no one will know how effortless it was. Unless you give away your trade secrets and tell them. That’s your prerogative.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
jalapeño street corn hummus
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain hummus, homemade or store bought
- 1 large flour tortilla
- 2 ears corn, husked (about 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2-3 tsp chili oil, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced
- tortilla chips, pita, and veggies, for serving
chili crisp oil
- 1 cup high-smoke point oil (peanut, canola, sunflower, etc.)
- 2-3 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
Instructions
- To make the chili crisp, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, chives, ginger, and a pinch of salt to a heat-proof bowl. Pour the hot oil over the herbs and let sit while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- To make the tortilla bowl, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mold the flour tortilla in a medium sized, heat-proof bowl or an 8 inch oven safe skillet. Bake for 6-8 minutes until crispy and golden.
- Heat your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium heat. Brush the corn with butter and roast 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until all sides have a nice char. Let cool, then strip the kernels off with a serrated knife.
- To the corn, stir in the cilantro, feta, lime juice, chili oil, and jalapeño. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Spoon the hummus into the tortilla bowl. Top with the roasted corn mixture and drizzle with additional chili oil, as desired. Serve with tortilla chips, pita, and veggies.
