Sauté Corn With This Chinese Condiment For A Flavorful Side Dish

Corn already makes a great side dish on its own because it's naturally hearty, nutty, and sweet. But if you're looking to change up your classic side dish a little bit, there is a one-ingredient addition that'll make corn taste a whole lot more complex: Chinese chili crisp. All you've got to do is sauté the desired amount of corn with a touch of oil or butter until it's fully cooked, and then you can add in a healthy spoonful of chili crisp at the end to coat every kernel (I prefer adding the chili crisp in at the end so the flakes of pepper don't burn in the cooking process).

Now you've got corn that's packed with an additional layer of complex flavor, from toasted crushed chili, onions, fermented soybeans, and depending on which chili crisp you use, a potential touch of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Popular chili crisp brands like Lao Gan Ma do contain some MSG, but corn is also a natural source of glutamates as well, making this a savory one-two punch. MSG is a fine ingredient to use in your cooking, by the way, and is something I highly endorse (as with anything, just don't overdo it).

Now that you've got the idea, you can further boost this chili crisp corn with just a few extra ingredients. My personal favorite additions are always a squeeze of fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro just before serving, but if you have access to an Asian grocery store, you can also purchase prepackaged garnishes like fried garlic or fried shallots to put on top. Those bits add extra crunch, which give every bite of corn added texture. 

The best part is, you can also do things like toss this chili crisp corn into a bowl of noodles or even pasta to bulk up your meal without resorting to adding more expensive things like protein. Plus, chili crisp is always a useful ingredient to keep in your pantry, as it's all but certain you'll find a use for it beyond just corn. You can give salmon a spicy and umami boost with it, it does wonders to upgrade your morning oatmeal, and incredibly enough, it also works with ice cream (as the Jeni's x Fly By Jing ice cream-chili crisp collab proved). But as a single addition to corn, along with the lime juice and cilantro, it creates a new side that turns the otherwise humble grain into something lively.