Recipes /

Japanese Grilled Corn

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

Roast and broil Japanese cuisine’s way into your home kitchen with our Japanese Grilled Corn. “Shichimi togarashi,” a beloved traditional Japanese seasoning blend, translates to “seven-flavor spice.” The complexity of this blend represents the emphasis of balance placed on Japan’s cuisine as a way of seeking to mirror the balance of the natural world. While the blend’s bright red color may lead you to assume it’s a hot and spicy one, its variety of ingredients actually balance one another for a rather mellowing effect.

Our grilled corn recipe features the Shichimi Togarashi, a handcrafted blended combination of Bird’s eye chiles, Aleppo chiles, and Aji Amarillo chiles for a piquant yet balanced heat along with orange peel, nori seaweed, and sesame seeds for a fruity and umami flavor with a crunchy texture. This delicious vegetarian appetizer pairs perfectly with other classic Japanese dishes such as teriyaki chicken or makes for a delicious unique snack. Additionally, you can switch up the recipe’s instructions if you desire a more smokey flavor by finishing the corn on a charcoal grill after roasting.

Curious Spoon Culinary Team
Difficulty:
Easy
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes

Ingredients

Yield 4
  • 4 ears Fresh Corn
  • 3 tbsp. Soy Sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Mirin*
  • 2 tbsp. Sugar
  • 3 tbsp. Curious Spoon Shichimi Togarashi

From the Kitchen

  • Small Saucepan
  • Sheet pan
  • Basting Brush

What is it and where to find it?

* Mirin: Mirin is a subtly sweet and umami flavored rice wine that is a key ingredient used in Japanese cooking. Though similar in name to rice vinegar, they are in fact different products with Mirin adding more sweet flavor and rice wine vinegar adding more sour tanginess. However, they have enough similarities in flavor that you can use them as substitutes for each other if necessary. Find Mirin in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores.

We’ve barely touched on the full world of Mirin and Rice Vinegar – two products considered imperative to Asian cooking. For more in-depth knowledge about these staples, check out Niki Nakayama’s Masterclass article on the subject.

 

Notes from the Chef:

Alternatively, this corn can be roasted in the oven and then finished on a charcoal grill for added smokey flavor.

Make it a meal:
Serve with Teriyaki Chicken.
Pairs well with:
Pairs well with sweeter white wine, such as Moscato.
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Directions:
  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 375 F.

  2. 2

    Trim silks off ears of corn, then place corn on directly onto grates of oven. Roast for 30-40 minutes until kernels are tender.

  3. 3

    Combine soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to low simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

  4. 4

    Remove husks and fibers from cooked corn. Brush each ear of corn with soy sauce mixture.

  5. 5

    Preheat a broiler to medium high heat.

  6. 6

    Place corn on baking sheet and broil until glaze starts to brown. Rotate ears of corn until all sides are evenly browned and glazed, basting with additional glaze often.

  7. 7

    Sprinkle Curious Spoon Shichimi Togarashi covering all sides of the corn. Serve hot.