Author Notes
I love grilled poblano peppers. They are vegetal, somewhat sweet, slightly bitter, and have a slow-burning warmth that makes them perfect in a wide variety of applications. To play up their sweetness I combined them with grilled corn, red bell pepper, and papaya. To add a spark of bright heat, the kind you feel right away, I added some minced jalepeño. To add more brightness I added lime and cilantro. A little olive oil, salt and red onion round things out. This salsa is perfect for an outdoor gathering served with your favorite corn chips. It makes a pretty large quantity, but it's easy to eat a lot of it. —hardlikearmour
Test Kitchen Notes
This is a lovely salsa -- the vegetal poblanos combined with the grilled corn are a hearty combination. It would be lovely over a piece of grilled fish or as an accompaniment to barbecue chicken. I had trouble finding Hawaiian papaya and used mango instead -- it was crispy and refreshing. I also loved how un-soupy it was. Perfect for tortilla chips! No soggage! - francesca gilberti —francesca gilberti
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Ingredients
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4 medium poblano peppers
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4 ears sweet corn
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1 red bell pepper
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1 papaya (normal-sized Hawaiian type, not gigantic Mexican type)
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½ to 1 jalepeño
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¼ cup finely diced red onion
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4 to 6 tablespoons lime juice
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1½ tablespoons olive oil
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salt
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packed ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Directions
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Heat your grill on high. Grill chiles until skin is blackened and blistered on all sides (2 to 3 minutes per side depending on your grill.) Place chiles in a paper bag or covered bowl, and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
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Reduce grill heat to medium. Peel all but the inner most layer or two of husk on 1 of your ears of corn. Grill, turning corn every 3 to 4 minutes, until the husk is split and blackened, highlighting the kernels of corn. Remove from grill and set aside to cool. Turn your grill off.
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Remove stem and seeds from bell pepper. Dice into pieces about the size of a corn kernel. Transfer to medium bowl. Cut the papaya in half and remove the seeds. Using a large spoon scoop the flesh from the skin. Dice (like the pepper) and add to the medium bowl. Remove the stem, seeds and ribs from the jalepeño. Finely mince and add ¼ to ½ to the bowl. Add the onion to the bowl.
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Peel the skins from the poblanos; remove the stems and seeds. Dice the poblano and add to the bowl. Cut the kernels from the ears of corn and add them to the bowl. Add the lime juice, olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt to the bowl. Stir well to combine. Taste for salt, lime and heat; adjust seasoning as desired. If the mixture is still warm, allow it to cool to room temperature then stir in the cilantro. Cover and allow flavors to meld at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, then serve with corn chips.
I am an amateur baker and cake decorator. I enjoy cooking, as well as eating and feeding others. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and our menagerie. I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, mushroom hunting, tide pooling, beach combing, and snowboarding.
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