Stephanie Izard's Trick For End-Of-Season Corn On The Cob - Exclusive
Stephanie Izard may have built her empire around goats, but if you want to talk vegetables, she's here for it. The first female winner of "Top Chef" — and the culinary mastermind behind Girl & The Goat, Little Goat Diner, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra, and Sugargoat — once told the Chicago Tribune that she's all about kohlrabi. But it's a grilled corn dish with spiced coconut caramel, cojita, and tajin that she's excited about at Girl & The Goat LA right now.
If you're used to corn on the cob dressed in butter and salt, the best way to describe Izard's version is that it's corn at The Oscars. "It's tossed in a little bit of heat, so it's bright. It's got some acidity to it. It's a little bit sweet, adding the saltiness in the cotija and then a little spicy brightness from the tajin," Izard told Tasting Table in an exclusive interview.
Grilling corn, as Izard does in Los Angeles, is perfect for summer weather. If, however, you're looking for a way to cook up corn during the colder autumn months when grilling becomes less appetizing, Izard's got a hack for that, too.
The best alternative to grilled corn
No need to resort to boiling corn when grilling isn't an option. If you want to mimic high heat grilling indoors, Stephanie Izard suggests using an air fryer. "It's about not overcooking it," the chef advised Tasting Table. "I love corn on the grill. It's how we do it here in Los Angeles, which I do at home in the summer, but it's also great in the air fryer." While cooking corn in the air fryer is unlikely to leave char marks, the method is quick and efficient.
"I started cutting the cobs into four little coblets and putting [them] in the air fryer and cooking it for a few minutes until it changes color," Izard explained. "[That] is my favorite way to do it at home. Sometimes, corn gets a little overcooked, and then it's a little mealy, but it's about cooking it nice and quick and [on] high heat."
Take a bite of Stephanie Izard's genius at her locations in Los Angeles & Chicago. To bring her flavors into your house, shop her This Little Goat line, including three different varieties of chili crunch — which Izard assures us goes perfectly with corn!