GRILLED CORN AND FIGS WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION

Grilled Corn and Figs with Balsamic Reduction image

You probably have enjoyed grilled corn; you may or may not have tasted a grilled fresh fig. I'm almost sure, however, that you never had them together in one dish. But when late summer brings them to market at the same time, I hope you will try this recipe. It's a simple one to do ahead: you grill the corn on the cob and then grill the figs (they take barely a minute). You slice off the corn kernels, toss them with the figs, and serve the dish at room temperature. The golden vegetable and dark fruit are a great-tasting and pretty combination just as they are, but if you happen to have some Drizzling Sauce of Balsamic Vinegar already made (or a bottle of balsamic vinegar to reduce), it's definitely worth applying the final swirl of sauce. The acidic tang sets off the sweetness of all the sugars in the corn and figs, already intensified by the heat of the grill. You can use either a gas or a charcoal grill for this, but keep the fire moderate (and pay attention, especially with the figs) so the sugars are caramelized, not burned.

Yield serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

6 large ears sweet corn
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 pound (about 1 pint) ripe fresh figs, preferably a dark variety
1 or 2 tablespoons Drizzling Sauce of Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (page 39)

Steps:

Clean the grill rack very well. Heat it with medium heat, if you're using a gas grill. If a charcoal grill, ignite and spread a bed of coals in a low layer that will cook all the ears of corn over moderate-not searing-heat. (If you can, adjust the height of the rack, too, to avoid burning the corn.)
Shuck the corn and remove all the silks. Put the ears in a big bowl or on a tray; pour the olive oil and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt all over them. Roll them around and rub them with your hands so they're well coated.
To prepare the figs, trim their stems and slice them all in half (through the stem end to the pointy blossom end).
Lay the ears of corn on the grill, and cook them for 7 minutes or more, turning them frequently, until the ears are nicely grill-marked and the kernels are tender. Don't burn them, and do shift them around the grill so they cook evenly. Let them cool while you grill the figs.
Wipe off the rack, if necessary, and have it hot so the figs don't stick. Set the fig halves on the rack, cut side down, and cook them only for a minute or so, to caramelize the cut side and soften the flesh. Don't let them burn or get mushy.
With a sharp knife, slice the grilled kernels off the cobs and gather them in a mixing bowl (see box, page 276, for my method of cutting off kernels). Put in the fig pieces and toss together with the corn, adding the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt or more to taste.
Serve warm or at room temperature in a wide bowl or platter. If you're drizzling with the balsamic reduction, it's best (and prettiest) to spread the corn and figs out in a shallow layer on a platter and swirl the vinegar with a teaspoon or fork in thin streaks over the top. This will give every spoonful of corn a delicate accent of sauce.
The use of fresh herbs has exploded in the American kitchen today and that is wonderful, but I recall, as a young apprentice at my great-aunt's apron strings, for every pot that went on the stove there was an herb somewhere in the garden to match. Some herbs were better to cook; others were better added to the finished dish. Rosemary, bay leaves, and thyme were mostly used for long cooking, where their oils would be extracted slowly out of their leaves, but sage, oregano, and marjoram needed very little cooking time, and basil, parsley, and mint were tossed raw, which is enough to release their aroma.
When I cook I love to crush herbs in my hands and then inhale their perfumes; it invigorates me, it refreshes me, and I get a good sense of what I am adding to the pot.
I gently begin crushing herbs for my grandchildren in their early months of life, so they can begin to collect the smells of the wonderful world of herbs and foods.