Grilled corn with chipotle butter and Manchego

Manchego, the classic Spanish sheep’s milk cheese, adds complexity and savoury notes to Neil Perry's chargrilled corn dish with chipotle butter. It's rich, sweet, sophisticated, and a texture-play if ever we've known one.

Grilled corn with chipotle butter and manchego Credit: Benito Martin

• serves

  6

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 10 cobs of corn
• 50 g butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 300 ml water
• 40 g Manchego cheese, finely grated

Chipotle butter

• 200 g butter, coarsely chopped at room temperature
• 20 g chipotle chillies in adobo

Instructions

For the chipotle butter, combine the butter and chipotle in a food processor, season to taste and process until smooth and combined. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until required.

Steam half the corn in a large steamer for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through and bright yellow. Set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel and grill on a barbecue or chargrill plate for 5-6 minutes or until charred. Set aside to cool, then cut kernels from the cob and set aside.

Remove husks from the remaining corn. Cut kernels from the cob and set aside. Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add the raw corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until kernels become a deep yellow. Add water, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until corn is tender. Transfer one-third of the corn to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan and repeat with the remaining corn. Season to taste, stir through barbecue corn kernels, warm over low heat, cover and keep warm.

Heat 80 g of chipotle butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the chilli starts to fry.

Transfer the corn puree to a serving bowl. Drizzle over the butter, scatter over Manchego and serve.

Photography by Benito Martin. Food styling by Alice Storey. Prop styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Alice Storey & Georgina Larby.

Pineapple coconut Green tablecloth from Bonnie and Neil. Pebble bowl in slate from Mud Australia. Robert Gordon Australia mini tapas bowl in salt (for cheese) from Chef and The Cook.

Neil Perry is the chef and restaurateur of Sydney's Rockpool Bar and Grill.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.