Truly original and truly delicious. Try them while we’ve got fresh corn cobs in the shops. Black limes are trendy at the moment but if you can’t find them you can use grated lime zest instead.
Corn ribs with black lime and pumpkin seed butter – serves 4 as a starter
- 3 corn cobs, husks removed
- 1.3 litres sunflower oil, for deep-frying
- 1½ tsp runny honey
FOR THE BUTTER
- 25g pumpkin seeds
- 60g unsalted butter, softened
- 1-2 dried black limes, roughly broken, then whizzed to a powder using spice grainder to get 2¼ tsp (if you don’t have black limes you can substitute grated lime zest)
Preheat the oven to 160C fan.
Spread the pumpkin seeds over a small baking tray and toast in the oven until golden-brown and starting to split, about 10 minutes. Coarsely blitz in a spice grinder (or finely chop) and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Mix the butter with 2 tsp of the ground black lime, the chopped pumpkin seeds and 1 tsp flaked sea salt to combine. You can make this ahead but remove from the fridge half an hour before you need it.
Cut the corn cobs in half widthways, then cut each half lengthways into quarters.
Heat the oil in a medium, high-sided saucepan on a medium heat. When very hot (about 180C if you have a probe), test by lowering in the end of a piece of corn; it should sizzle but not turn brown immediatley.
Fry the corn in batches for 6-7 minutes, turning a few times until they have curled and turned golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Transfer the cooked corn to a bowl and toss with the honey and 1½ tsp of sea salt flakes.
Serve the corn on a platter with the butter on the side and sprinkle with the rest of the ground lime.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2020.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 