Charred Corn with Coconut Is My Favorite Summer Side

You can find this recipe—along with other recipes that pack a punch—in our upcoming cookbook, “Milk Street Shorts.” It’s on sale October 14, but you can pre-order it now.

I have never been great at multi-tasking. In the kitchen, I do my best work when I’m focused on a single process, such as smoking a turkey, layering a lasagna, or kneading dough. This isn’t to say I can’t pull off a meal of multiple dishes, it’s just a touch stressful for my mono-tasking brain.

Sides are where I have the most trouble, as I usually focus on the main dish and forsake all else. I need sides to be quick, with a short ingredients list and as few dirty dishes as possible. Luckily, I have access to our soon-to-be-released cookbook, “Milk Street Shorts: Recipes That Pack a Punch.” These recipes use complexly flavored ingredients and thoughtful techniques to deliver maximum impact with minimal effort.

“Shorts” is where I found my new favorite summer side dish: Charred Corn with Coconut, Chilies and Lime. This six-ingredient, 15-minute wonder generates exactly four dirty dishes. It’s all cooked quickly under the broiler, so you won’t overheat your kitchen with prolonged oven time. And it is flavorful, almost aggressively so, with layers of complexity.

Coconut milk gets used two ways

In this recipe, inspired by Andy Ricker’s grilled corn from his book “Pok Pok,” frozen or freshly-cut corn kernels pair with coconut to make a delicious, savory-sweet side that’s perfect for cookouts or potlucks. Corn and coconut are an iconic duo; when mixed together and spread on a baking sheet, the natural sugars and fat in the coconut milk speed the charring of the kernels.

The remaining coconut milk gets whisked with lime juice to create a bright and creamy finishing drizzle that complements the nutty sweetness of charred corn. A final flourish of lime zest marries the flavors with tropical floral notes. (Be sure to zest the limes before you juice them; it’s much harder in reverse.)

Coconut shreds add toasty flavor and texture

Unsweetened shredded coconut is the sleeper hit ingredient of this recipe. Once the corn has been charred, the coconut is sprinkled over the kernels and broiled until golden and toasty—this takes all of 10-20 seconds, so don’t walk away. The lightly caramelized shreds amplify the sweetness of the corn while anchoring the dish with a nutty toastiness.

Seed chilies with care

Serrano and Fresno chilies both work equally well in this side. We remove the seeds and ribs to temper the heat; just take care to wash your hands thoroughly after doing so, and keep your hands away from your face while working. (As someone who has taken chili residue straight to the face, I can tell you this is a step you do not want to skip.)

Make this dish all year long

This side was developed with frozen corn in mind, so it can be made all year round. If working with sweet summer corn, cut the kernels from freshly shucked ears; you’ll need 3 large or 4 medium ears, enough for 3 cups of kernels.

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Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.