Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob with Whipped Labneh & Harissa Dressing
This recipe comes to us from Josh Katz's cookbook Berber&Q: On Vegetables, a must-have for anybody with a BBQ.
'There are many schools of thought when it comes to the best method for grilling corn-on-the-cob. My preferred method is to pre-soak your corn, peeling back the husks so as to remove the corn string first, then replacing the husks as they were and dropping the corn into a large pan of water to soak for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 8 hours. You can then place the corn straight on the grill. The husks will form a protective layer that slowly burns off, gently steaming the corn within, working in much the same way as tin foil would.' – Josh Katz
Makes 4
Ingredients: Harissa Dressing
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp agave syrup (or use honey instead)
2 tbsp harissa
100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) olive oil
Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp agave syrup (or use honey instead)
2 tbsp harissa
100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) olive oil
Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper
Ingredients: Grilled Corn
200g (7oz) labneh
2 tbsp olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 corn-on-the-cobs, pre-soaked, husks retained
10g (1/3 oz) amba (optional)
2 tbsp finely sliced chives
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tbsp zaʼatar
Grated zest of 1 lime
Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 corn-on-the-cobs, pre-soaked, husks retained
10g (1/3 oz) amba (optional)
2 tbsp finely sliced chives
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tbsp zaʼatar
Grated zest of 1 lime
Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper
Method: Harissa Dressing
- Combine the lime juice, cumin, vinegar, agave syrup and harissa in a medium bowl and whisk in the olive oil gradually to emulsify. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside until needed.
Method: Whipped Labneh & Grilled Corn
- Whip the labneh with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl with a whisk until light and airy. Set aside until needed but don’t make this too far in advance or the labneh will lose its aeration.
- Heat a ridged cast-iron grill pan over high heat until smoking hot, or set a fire up for grilling over hot embers.
- Place the corn on the pan or grill rack, husks and all, and grill, turning regularly, for 10–12 minutes or until blackened and charred. Pull off and discard the burnt outer husks and return the corn to the grill to blacken quickly on all sides.
- Transfer the corn to a serving platter, season with salt and black pepper and smother in whipped labneh. Spoon the harissa dressing all over the top and drizzle with amba (if using). Garnish the corn with chives and chopped dill, the zaʼatar and lime zest. Serve immediately while still warm.
This recipe originally appears in Berber&Q: On Vegetables by Josh Katz (Kyle Books), photographed by James Murphy.
