Zippy corn ‘ribs’
Recipe appears in
Serves 4-6 as a snack
If you’ve not tried corn ribs, you’re in for a treat – they’re all the fun of BBQ rib hand-food, right down to the finger-licking spice rub residue on your hands. The key is to soften the cobs a little before trying to cut in, as that will keep your hands safe from bouncing knives trying to hack through raw corn cob. If you’d prefer not to live dangerously, slice the corn cob in half then stand on its side to cut shorter riblets.
4-6 corn cobs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Spice rub
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoons coriander power
1 teaspoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoons salt flakes (plus extra for sprinkling)
Zest of 1 lime (keep the cheeks for garnish)
To make the spice rub, add all ingredients into a jar with a well-sealing lid and shake to combine.
Keep corn in their husks (or wrap pre-stripped corn cobs in baking paper like a bon-bon) and microwave on HIGH for 1-2 mins. Slice the corn cobs into ‘ribs’ by carefully cutting down the centre, then again into long quarters. Now slice off the heart of each cob on an angle to create space for the corn to curl into.
Massage the ‘ribs’ with the spice rub and oil.
Heat oven to 240C (220C fan).
Line a large tray with foil, then place the corn ‘ribs’ with plenty of room around each on the tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, towards the top of the oven.
Sprinkle with a little extra salt flakes before serving, with lime cheeks for squeezing.
The spice rub makes enough for both kinds of ‘ribs’. If you’re just making one or the other, halve the quantities, or save half for the next time you make this.
If you like a little heat in your rub, add a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mix too.
You can also make these in an air-fryer – 10 minutes should do it.
