Welcome to another tasty edition of Chefs Share! Each month, we share a home chef-friendly recipe from one of Miami’s culinary stars. If you’ve never worked in a professional kitchen before, don’t worry; these recipes don’t require any formal experience, and the ingredients can be found at your local supermarket or specialty foods store.
This month’s recipe comes to us from Chef Matthew Stowe of Joey Aventura (786.763.2300) at 19505 Biscayne Blvd., Joey Restaurants’ first endeavor in the Sunshine State. Established in Canada, the group has grown into a collection of elevated restaurants – of which Stowe is the culinary executive director – with great food and drinks, lively environments and exceptional dining experiences throughout Canada and the United States, including Washington, California and Texas.
“To me, guacamole is the perfect summertime patio food,” said Stowe. “It’s great as a snack on its own or a compliment to a backyard BBQ meal. What makes this version unique is the addition of grilled sweet summer corn. It adds a great texture and sweetness to the guacamole while presenting corn in another way than just the chips.
(Courtesy of Joey Restaurant Group)
Chef Matthew Stowe
“Great guacamole should have a good balance of salt and acidity to cut through the richness of the avocado. It should also always be served at room temperature, so try to make and serve it right away, rather than putting it in the fridge.”
Stowe is sharing the secret to creating an at-home version of his celebrated Roasted Corn Guacamole. Before you get started, be sure to read the entire recipe to avoid any surprises along the way. Enjoy!
ROASTED CORN GUACAMOLE
Servings: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
· 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
· 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped – for less spice, use spoon to remove seeds
· 1 serrano chili pepper, sliced into 6-8 strips for garnish – soak in cold water to remove heat, if desired
· 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
· 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
· 2 corn on the cob ears, husked
· 1/4 cup diced tomatoes (1/4″ chunks)
· 1/4 cup diced red onion (1/4″ chunks)
· Half bunch cilantro, chopped – save 8-10 leaves for garnish
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 5 ripe Haas avocados, halved, pitted and diced
· 6-8 grape tomatoes, halved, for garnish
· 2 teaspoons crumbled Feta cheese for garnish
PREPARATION
· Combine lime juice, chopped serrano pepper, garlic and sea salt in small bowl and allow to marinate 15-30 minutes – the longer the better. This will mellow the garlic and when mixed, disperse the seasoning evenly throughout the guacamole. This is also referred to as “blooming” the garlic. Chef’s tip: When handling serranos, use gloves or wash your hands with warm soapy water to remove as much residual chili from your hands as possible.
· Place corn ears on grill set to high heat and cook 12-15 minutes, moving corn every 3-4 minutes to achieve an even, charred color.
· Once corn has been cooked, cut kernels from cobs and separate them by hand; set aside 5-6 pieces of charred corn chunks to use as garnish.
· In bowl combine diced tomato, onion, cilantro, corn kernels and olive oil; set aside.
· In large bowl mash diced avocado with fork, being careful not to overmash – you should leave small chunks; add lime juice-serrano and tomato-corn mixtures and gently combine using large spoon or rubber spatula. Do not overmix! Doing so will remove all chunks and texture and cause browning and loss of flavor.
· Scoop prepared guacamole into shallow serving bowl or platter creating a mound; garnish with sliced serrano pepper, reserved cilantro leaves, grape tomatoes and reserved charred corn chunks, then sprinkle feta cheese on top.
· Serve with warm corn tortilla chips and enjoy this fresh, sharable summer snack.
Irene Moore is a Miami-based writer and certified sommelier whose vivid descriptions take readers through culinary cultures around the world. Her feature articles have appeared in print publications, travel guidebooks and websites in the U.S. and Europe.