Grilled Corn Salad with Ricotta Salata & Hazelnuts

Serves: 4
Total Time: 30 min.

INGREDIENTS

4 fresh ears of corn, shucked
1/2 c raw hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
2 oz ricotta salata*, thinly sliced
15 basil leaves, sliced thin
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T white or red wine vinegar
1/2 t kosher salt
*Ricotta salata is a salty, crumbly Italian cheese available at specialty grocery stores. If you can't find it, Mexican cotija or aged parmesan will stand in quite well.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chopped hazelnuts on a sheet pan and bake for about 8 minutes, until nuts are fragrant and begin to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Prepare grill for the corn, heating to high heat. Place corn cobs directly on grate as close to flames as possible. Leave undisturbed on each side long enough to char some kernels but not fully cook the corn, about 3 minutes per side.

Alternatively, char the corn on the stovetop. Heat a medium cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add whole ears of corn to dry pan and cook, leaving undisturbed in pan to blacken, about 5 minutes per side. When finished, the corn should have charred spots all over but need not be cooked all the way through. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, slice kernels off cobs and discard cobs. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and toss to incorporate, taking care to leave some large chunks of corn kernels and ricotta salata. Serve at room temperature or chilled.