Corn and Roasted Potatoes with Poblano Chile
This combines two of our favorite vegetables with a mildly spicy fresh chile pepper and crème fraîche. Each of the components can be prepared ahead, but wait to combine them until just before serving for the very best in both flavor and texture. This dish is not a keeper, which gives some of us more incentive than we need to overindulge! Simple and unadulterated, it doesn't get better than this.
Ingredients
- 3 ears fresh corn
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for roasting
- ½ teaspoon salt plus extra for seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large poblano chile pepper
- 1 ¼ pounds white new or Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- ½ cup crème fraîche
Instructions
- Shuck the corn and remove the silk. Holding each ear of corn upright on a cutting board and starting from the tip, slice off the kernels, cutting as close to the cob as possible.
- In a saucepan, sauté the corn kernels in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Season with the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.
- Char the skin on the poblano pepper over a gas burner, on a medium-hot grill, or under the broiler about 3 inches from the heat, turning frequently, until blackened all over. Transfer the pepper to a plate and let cool. When cool enough to handle, with your hands or the dull side of a knife, remove the charred skin. (It is okay to leave some of the charred bits intact-they add flavor.) Seed and cut into one-half-inch squares. Reserve.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Scrub the potatoes and cut them into one-half-inch-thick wedges. Put in a bowl, add enough olive oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.
- To serve, transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and add the corn, diced charred poblano, cilantro, and crème fraîche, and toss to combine. Serve within the hour.