Corn is well known to pair brilliantly with rich stuff—butter, cream, mayonnaise, cheese. Inspired by my love of a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich, and thoughts on how corn might improve it, I landed on this bronzed, broiled dip that welcomes any kind of scooping vessel: tortilla chips, rice crackers, toasted bread. This dip requires minimal oven-on time, which means that the corn stays plump and juicy and that your kitchen doesn’t turn into a sauna, and it’s a striking centerpiece of an al fresco appetizer spread. Circling back to my original idea for these flavors, leftovers can be squashed between slices of bread and grilled for a real treat.
Directions
- Squeeze the kimchi over a small bowl to extract as much of its liquid as possible. Whisk the gochujang into the kimchi brine.
- Coarsely chop the kimchi into pieces about the same size as a corn kernel, then add to a small baking dish (about 1 quart capacity) along with the corn and cheese. Add the gochujang-kimchi-brine mixture and gently stir to combine.
- Set the broiler to its highest setting and, when hot, place the baking dish close to the heat source. Broil for 3–5 minutes, until browned and bubbling on the top, and until the cheese is melted. Serve hot or warm, with a spoon.
Lukas Volger
Lukas Volger is a cookbook author and editor. He co-founded Jarry, an award-winning queer food journal, and his most recent book is Start Simple. For more information, visit lukasvolger.com or @lukasvolger on Instagram.