Charred corn, baby potato and herb salad

Are you looking for a weeknight dish that can be partially made ahead of time? Give our modern twist on the timeless potato salad a try.

This dish combines sweet, charred corn with crisp baby herb leaves, all brought together by a lively, smoky dressing. For a burst of intense umami flavor reminiscent of aged cheese, whip up some homemade salt-cured egg yolks a day or two in advance, and grate them generously over the salad.

Recipe compliments of Leopards Leap.

Ingredients

• 3-4 XL eggs
• About 1,5 cups fine table salt
• 2 large corn on the cob, leaves peeled back
• 700 g baby potatoes
• A small punnet baby herb salad leaves
• 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 25 ml fresh lemon juice
• ½ – 1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated (optional)
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

1. Make ahead: In a shallow non-reactive bowl (glass/plastic/ceramic, about 5cm deep), pour a layer of salt, about 2cm deep.
2. Using the round ends of an egg, make indents in the salt for the yolks to sit in, spaced apart so they won’t touch one another.
3. Separate the eggs and place each yolk in the salt indents (keeping the whites separate for another recipe on another day).
4. Cover the top of the yolks with the remaining salt (cover them completely), then place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. When the time is up, rinse the yolks carefully under running water, then place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake at 60 C for 3 hours or until solid, then leave to cool. Store in an air-tight container and use within 3 weeks (to use, grated finely over salads, pasta, etc.)
6. Grill the corn over medium-hot coals until they have spotted char marks all over (don’t overcook these, some of the corn can still be slightly undercooked), then cut the corn from the cob and set aside.
7. Boil the baby potatoes in salted water until just tender (about 20 minutes), then strain and leave to cool completely. Slice each potato in half, then the cut corn and leaves. To a small glass jar, add the olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, garlic and season with salt & pepper. Shake vigorously, then pour over the salad and toss to coat well.
8. Transfer to a serving platter, then top with finely grated cured salted egg yolk. Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate and serve within a few hours.

Enjoy with Leopard’s Leap Chardonnay Pinot Noir or Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir.