A savory tart that tastes like summer
There are innumerable ways to enjoy summer’s bounty of sweet corn, from salty, tangy Mexican elote and warm, gooey Korean corn cheese to corn fritters, salads, and soups. But for me, nothing beats a good old-fashioned corn on the cob drenched in melted butter and sprinkled with salt. This savory tart captures that same buttered corn flavor but with a few added adornments: creamy ricotta cheese and a drizzle of spicy chile oil that highlights corn’s delicately floral flavor without smothering it.
Galettes are the cooler, more laid-back cousins of pie. They’re inherently rustic—shaped free-form on a sheet pan rather than perfectly sculpted in a pie pan—and almost impossible to mess up. This galette is made from a basic all-butter pie dough that bakes into a salty, flaky crust. The ricotta filling is flavored with finely grated garlic, chopped basil leaves, and a handful of Parmesan cheese, which adds saltiness and a hint of umami. Half of the corn kernels are bound together with this creamy ricotta mixture, and the rest are piled on top and dotted with pats of butter that melt and sizzle in the oven. A pinch of sugar encourages caramelization and makes the corn flavor pop by enhancing its natural sweetness.
While corn is the star of this savory galette, there’s one crucial supporting actor: a salty chile garlic oil that gets drizzled over the top just before serving. The toasty, spicy notes of the chile oil perfectly complement the corn rather than competing with it. It’s hardly any extra work to make—just heat neutral oil on the stove until it’s almost smoking, then pour it over minced garlic and red pepper flakes in a heat-safe bowl. It’s quite literally the secret sauce that makes this corn galette so craveable, and it goes well with just about any other food too, so you can be sure any leftovers won’t go to waste. (Try a drizzle over fresh tomatoes or crispy fried eggs.)
No one wants to turn on the oven in hot weather, but this galette cooks in only 30 minutes, so at least it won’t be on for long, and you’ll be left with a golden tart that tastes like the best of summer. Luckily, this is a dish that’s best enjoyed at room temperature, so feel free to bake the galette ahead of time and give your house a chance to cool off before you sit down to eat. Serve it with a big green salad or alongside grilled meat—really, any meal you’d normally pair with corn on the cob is a safe bet.