Ingredients:

  • 16 oz frozen white sweet corn, thawed and thoroughly drained
  • 2 medium jalapeños, finely diced and seeded
  • 1 small poblano pepper, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 tsp coarse Kosher salt

Instructions:

  1. Thaw the corn. Place the 16 oz frozen white sweet corn in a colander and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Note: Using the microwave to thaw can make the corn rubbery, so air thawing is best.
  2. Dice the aromatics. Cut the red onion, jalapeños, and poblano pepper into a tiny brunoise, roughly the size of a corn kernel. Aim for uniform cubes so no single ingredient overwhelms a bite.
  3. Macerate the base. In your glass bowl, combine the diced red onion, diced jalapeños, 2 tbsp lime juice, and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
  4. Rest the mixture. Allow this to sit for exactly 10 minutes. Until you see the onion turn a slightly brighter pink and the sharp aroma softens.
  5. Prep the cilantro. Finely chop the 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, avoiding the thick lower stems.
  6. Integrate the corn. Add the thoroughly drained corn and the diced poblano pepper to the citrus onion base.
  7. Toss and coat. Use a large spoon to fold the ingredients together. Until the corn is glistening and the peppers are evenly distributed.
  8. Season carefully. Sprinkle with 0.5 tsp coarse Kosher salt.
  9. Final taste test. Take a chip and scoop a generous portion. Until you taste a balance of salt and acid; add another pinch of salt if it tastes flat.
  10. Chill or serve. You can eat this immediately, but 20 minutes in the fridge helps the flavors meld into a cohesive unit. While this recipe is incredibly simple, the order of operations is what separates it from a standard salsa. The maceration step in step 3 is the most important part of the entire process. By letting the onions sit in the acid before adding the corn, you are essentially creating a quick pickled onion base. This removes the sulfury aftertaste that often haunts raw onion dishes. If you are looking for another way to use these flavors in a more decadent format, the ingredients in this salsa share a lot of DNA with a [sweet corn pudding](https://recipeseasily.com/recipes/sweet-corn-pudding-recipe/). While the pudding is silky and custardy, the flavor profile of sweet corn and a hint of heat is a classic pairing. You could even top a warm corn pudding with a spoonful of this cold salsa for a wild contrast in temperatures.