Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad with Basil Oil

By jjadin

Made with sauteed frozen corn and oiled-down pesto, and it turned out great.

Ingredients

• Basil Oil:
• 2 ears corn, husks removed
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 large ripe beefsteak tomatoes
• 1 cup mild olive oil
• 2 cups tightly packed sweet basil leaves
• Kosher salt
• Small leaves of Dark Opal or Purple Ruffles basil, or gently torn larger ones, for garnish (optional)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Cut the corn cobs in half crosswise, put them in a large bowl, and toss with the olive oil, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Heat a grill to medium-high. Grill the corn until the tips of the kernels are nicely browned all around, about 2 min. on each of three sides. Return the corn to the bowl with the olive oil and toss again. When the ears are cool enough to handle, place the flat end of a cob on a cutting board so the cob is upright and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife. You should have about 1 cup kernels. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Slice the tomatoes 1/2 inch thick and generously season each slice with salt and pepper. On serving plates, arrange one, two, or three slices of tomato per person, depending on how big the tomatoes are. Scatter the corn over the tomato slices. Drizzle basil oil generously over each serving. Garnish with fresh purple leaves, if using.

Basil oil:



Put the measured oil in the refrigerator while you prepare the basil. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Blanch the basil leaves in the boiling water for about 10 seconds. Remove them quickly with a strainer and dunk in the ice water, swishing them around to be sure they’re all cold. Remove from the water and squeeze gently to remove the excess water.

Roughly chop the basil and put it in a blender. Add the oil and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; blend until the basil is puréed. The mixture will be very frothy. Let the purée settle for about 30 min. Strain through a cheesecloth- lined fine strainer, very gently pushing on the solids to extract the oil. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to a week. For the best flavor, let the oil come to room temperature before using.