Recipe: Barbecued Miso Corn

June 22nd, 2010 - filed under: The Food » Recipes

Most people give you a funny look when you utter the phrase ‘vegan barbecue’, but I’ve never understood this. In my mind there’s no cooking method that’s *more* suited to veganism. Just food on fire – it’s so primal, and maaaan does it make good vegetables!

Every year my friends and I have a Summer Solstice BBQ because we are crunchy hippie types, and every year I bring something funky because I am a freaky food geek type (last year was mezcal grilled pineapple). Lately I’ve been really into cultured foods and I’m currently sort of obsessed with all things fermented. But I won’t launch into my love-lecture on gut flora, we’ll save that for another time . . .

Miso is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented rice or soy bean paste. There are many varieties with endless flavor profiles, but all tend to add a certain salty quality. Besides its benefits to the belly, miso is high in protein and many vitamins and minerals (specifically the B vitamins). But mostly, it just tastes great!

Ingredients:

Corn on the cob (I recommend buying only organic corn and corn-containing products, as virtually all conventional corn has been compromised by GMO)

White Miso paste

Instructions:

Take an ear of corn and gently peel back the husk, being careful that it doesn’t detach from the stalk. Remove the silk strands.

Spoon out a dollop of miso, maybe a 1/2 teaspoon or so, and use your fingers to rub it into the kernels. Fold the husks back up and you’re good to go. Grill until just barely charred (see top photo).

That’s it! The miso imparts a very subtle flavor, but it’s delicious. No need for ‘butter’ or salt or pepper – the miso takes care of it all!

Happy Summer!!!

http://ahimsablog.wordpress.com Karmalily

What a great idea! I am going to try this very soon. I love to find new ways to use miso since it’s one of my favorite ingredients.
Morgan

That sounds delicious! I love miso and will definitely try this soon. When we BBQ, my husband is always focused on what steak to get (we’re omni, but I’m trying to make a shift toward veggie) but I would forget about meat if he weren’t around. I’m too focused on what yummy fruits and veggies I can grill!
Amanda

This sounds great! I’ve always been a corn lover and there’s nothing like corn roasted over a bbq to give it flavor. YUM!

BTW-your hair looks fantastic! i love the red and it’s super shiny and healthy looking.
http://flightsofthevalkyrie.blogspot.com/ Valerie

That sounds amazing I am so making it once I unpack the grill. A summer solstice BBQ sound like an awesome idea! Unfortunately it was rainy and gloomy yesterday but today it was sunny and I celebrated by having lunch and a beer on the porch with the dog.
http://kpapoulias.blogspot.com/ Kathryn

Miso hungry for this corn! Hyuk hyuk hyuk…
Stupid jokes aside, do you think you could make a sort of barbecue list? Like the one for thanksgiving? We could make it a community thing too!
But anywayyy this looks delicious. I know you’re quitting salt so you’ll probably hate me for this, but when I was a kid in Greece the BEST thing was finding the guy in the square selling grilled corn. He’d wrap the bottom in a paper towel and shake some salt aaaall over it. YUM. The simplest recipes are usually the best. :)
Leah

There’s some good chickpea miso and azuki bean miso out there for those of us who can’t have soy. It has a more pronounced “fermented” taste than soy miso, though. I kinda like it!
tinyflowers

Diggin’ the new hair color, Sayward! Recipe looks tasty!
http://www.adorable-damage.com Anastasia

Oh, man.. this sounds & looks SO good! I always hate putting a bunch of earth balance on corn on the cob, so this is great.
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

Hey All! Yay, can’t wait to hear how you guys like the recipe. =)

@ Amanda – Aw thanks, my hair has never been healthier. It’s all about the no poo!

@ Kathryn – Well, that is just a great idea. Consider it done! =D

@ Leah – Yeah I’ve heard of soy-less miso, can’t wait to try it!
Minna

I was gonna say the same thing – your hair does look so shiny and healthy!

And you are so pretty! <3
Kaye

I’ve heard of people grilling corn before, but never did it myself. How long do you leave it on the grill?
Rebecca

Late comment here (was getting ready for my “trip” all week)…but I had to give a shout out for my loooove loooove luv of fermented foods also! I am assuming you either have read or have a copy of Wild Fermentation. Awesome stuff. Don’t you love the odd looks you get when you start sharing your passion for good bacteria? ha ha
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

@ Minna – Aw, thanks darlin.

@ Kaye – Well you can technically eat the corn raw, so it’s just a matter of taste. I go by the grill marks on the husks and that coloration took maybe 1o minutes? A bit less?

@ Rebecca – LOVE Wild Fermentation, working my way through it right now. Expect that to be reflected on Bonzai in the coming months!

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