And just like that, it’s August, a month when almost anything can happen, and in Russia usually does. Each year the country braces itself for “The August Curse,” the month’s propensity towards natural disasters from hurricanes to floods, and even peat bog fires, combined with a tragic number of air and rail crashes and the Kursk submarine accident. August also plays host to military, social, and political upheavals, such as the declaration of World War I and the 1991 hardliner coup, which this year celebrates its thirty-year anniversary.
So, while we brace for something seismic, let’s try to enjoy some upsides of August — and corn season is at the top of the list. As this relentlessly cheerful crop climbs to the height of an elephant’s eye, it’s time to pull out all our favorite corn recipes: cornbread, corn muffins, corn chowder, polenta, and of course, just plain old corn-on-the-cob. Slathered with butter and sprinkled with a little salt, what could be nicer?
There are so many ways to enjoy fresh ears of corn but grilling or roasting brings out the natural sugars in corn’s kernels and enhances the already fabulous flavors of corn. Grilled corn is perfect alongside just about anything else you want to throw on the grill, so here is a shashlik recipe that combines fresh corn-on-the-cob with salmon — two distinct ingredients from very different culinary canons meeting halfway in the middle for a delicious exchange. Lightly curing the salmon ahead of time and pre-cooking the corn means that these skewers need only a few moments per side on the grill, removing any danger of either scorching or becoming too dry. Red pepper gives this skewer a nice color palette and thin slices of lime add a spritz of citrus to the salmon.
Corn & Salmon Shashlik
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-½ lbs. 700 grams of salmon, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 3 ears of corn-on-the-cob
- 2 red peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 limes thinly sliced
- 1 Tbls of red pepper
- 1 Tbls of olive oil
- 4 Tbls of sea salt
- 1 large bunch of fresh dill finely chopped
- Dipping Sauce
- ¾- cup 175 ml of olive oil
- Juice and zest of one lime
- 1 Jalapeno peppers seeds removed
- 1 cup 240 ml of fresh herbs: cilantro, dill, and mint
- 5 scallions
Instructions
- Sprinkle half of the sea salt over the salmon cubes, then gently press dill into each side of the cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the corn ears for 10 minutes. Remove from the pot and cool to room temperature. When cool, cut the ears into 2-inch (5-centimeter) chunks. Toss the chunks with the remaining salt and red pepper and set aside.
- Make the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients into a food processor fitted with a steel blade or a blender and combining until smooth. Chill the sauce until you are ready to serve.
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towel, then thread it onto shashlik skewers next to the lime slices and interspersed with the pepper and corn.
- Heat the grill to medium high and oil it with a damp wad of paper towel dipped into vegetable or canola oil. Grill the skewers 2-3 minutes per side or until the pepper is slightly charred, and the salmon has turned translucent.
- Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
