One of the many things I find fascinating about food is the throughlines of different cultures. Korean Corn Cheese sounds exotic, but it’s just corn casserole’s Asian cousin, and it shares a lineage with Mexican elote and other similar dishes across the world. Turns out corn, some sort of fat, and cheese work the same magic whether you’re in Seoul, Oaxaca, or Summersville.
Corn Cheese is a staple of Korean bar food, the kind of dish you’d order alongside a cold beer at a pojangmacha, or food cart, in Seoul. I’ll never forget reading the recipe the first time I stumbled across it, and thinking this sounds like something memaw would have set out on the Sunday supper table, right next to the deviled eggs.
Just like half & half, the recipe is in the name. Sweet corn, mayonnaise, butter, and a whole lot of melted cheese, cooked in a skillet until the edges catch a little color and the top turns bubbly and golden. It’s usually served straight from the pan, just make sure to put a pot holder or towel on the table first.
I love how this is a dish served over 6,000 miles away and is still about as Appalachian as it gets. We’ve been making some version of that combination for potlucks and holidays for generations. Mexico’s version is elote, corn slicked with mayo, cotija cheese, and a squeeze of lime. Peru’s version, choclo con queso, pairs big Andean corn kernels with slices of fresh queso fresco. Turns out good food logic doesn’t care much about borders.
This one comes together fast, and it travels well from stove to table, so don’t dress it up too much. Let the corn do the talking.
Of course, fresh corn is going to be best, and ‘tis the season. But frozen and canned works well, too. Here’s how we build it.
Korean Corn Cheese
Yield: 4 to 6 servings, as a side or shared appetizer
Time: 20 minutes
4 C Corn Kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
3 T Unsalted Butter
½ C Mayonnaise
1 T Sugar
½ t Salt
1½ C Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
½ C Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 ea Scallions, sliced thin
MIX CORN: In a bowl, stir together the corn, mayonnaise, sugar, and salt until the corn is evenly coated.
COOK CORN: Melt the butter in a small cast iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the corn mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until warmed through and starting to caramelize slightly at the edges.
TOP AND MELT: Heat your broiler. Sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar evenly over the corn. Slide the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching it closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown in spots.
FINISH: Remove from the broiler, top with the scallions, and serve immediately, straight from the skillet, with crackers, bread, or just a spoon.
Enjoy, friends. Proof that good food speaks the same language everywhere, whether it’s cooked in Seoul or in a cast iron skillet right here in West Virginia.
