Corn Saute with Chile and Lime
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 c (165 g) small-diced yellow onion (1 medium-large onion), preferably sweet
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 slightly heaping cups (315 g) corn kernels (cut off the cob from about 4 medium ears)
- 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
- 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 lime
- 3 tbps chopped fresh cilantro
Melt 1 tbsp of butter with the olive oil in a 10-inch/25-cm saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover, turn up the heat to medium, and saute, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter, the corn kernels, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the corn is tender but still slightly toothy to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. (It will begin to intensify in color, glisten, and be somewhat shrunken in size). Add the chile powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the lime zest and remove the pan from heat. Let the corn saute sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Stir again, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Season the saute with a few generous grinds of pepper and a good squeeze of lime. Stir in half of the cilantro. Let sit for another couple of minutes if you have time. Stir and season with more salt, pepper, or lime juice. Stir in the remaining cilantro just before serving.
Serves 4.