Barbecue season is well and truly here in the UK, with much of the country set to bask in the sun once again this week. While they’re often all about the meat (or vegetarian alternative), the side dishes are equally as important.
Corn on the cob is a classic choice, especially when served with lashings of butter. However, if you want to jazz up yours and make this yellow veg a bit more exciting, then chef Thom Bateman has the perfect recipe. Slicing up your corn into ‘ribs’ before seasoning and cooking will make them so much more delicious, and it’s so easy to do.
Taking to TikTok in a video with more than 3.1 million likes, he shared his recipe for his perfectly spiced corn ribs with a fresh lime and coriander dip.
He lightly fried them in oil in the clip, but highlighted in the caption that they can be cooked in the oven or the air fryer – and no doubt would work excellent on the BBQ as well.
With just a handful of ingredients – mostly store cupboard staples – this summery dish is perfect for eating outside with your hands. People in the comments agreed that they looked delicious, with one writing: “Oh man, I love corn ribs. As soon as fresh corn is ready, I plan on making some. They do great in an air fryer!”
Here’s everything you need to make this recipe.
Corn ribs
Ingredients – for the corn
- Two corn on the cob
- Two tsp salt
- One tsp white pepper
- Two tsp chipotle chilli flakes (or normal chilli flakes)
- Two tsp ground cumin
- Two tsp smoked paprika
- Oil for frying
For the dip
- Six tbsp sour cream
- Zest and juice of one lime
- Handful of chopped coriander
Method
Carefully cut the corn cobs in half horizontally, then cut them again. Slice them in half lengthways until you’ve got rib-like shapes.
In a bowl, mix the salt, white pepper, chipotle, ground cumin and smoked paprika to make your spice mix.
Meanwhile, make the dip by mixing the sour cream with the lime, coriander and a pinch of salt.
Put some oil in a pan, heat it to 175C and gently fry the ribs for around four minutes. Thom said: “You can actually do this in the oven, I just prefer them this way.”
Once they’re done, put them into a bowl and season straight away with the spice mix. Serve with the dip, and enjoy.
