Taiwanese Grilled Corn

For the past week, the city has been the kind of hot that prompts me to stay inside all day devising strategies on how to keep our non-air conditioned but very well-insulated home as cool as possible. After about 5 consecutive days of experimentation, I settled on the following as my preferred system:

1) Open windows from night time until 10:00 in the morning;
2) Close windows at 10:00, draw all blinds and curtains, and turn on ceiling fans;
3) Stay as still as possible throughout the day, working from either the living room or the guest room;
4) Shower between 5:00-5:30 to cool off;
5) Open windows again at 7:00 PM; and
6) Most importantly, don’t turn on any additional heating elements during the day, including any kitchen appliances.

The system served us pretty well for most of the week. But by the time the weekend came around, both my husband and I were pretty tired of eating nothing but salads, watermelon, and takeout for dinner. Luckily, I happen to be married to a man who knows his way around a grill, so it was easy to come up with a weekend dinner menu that didn’t involve making our indoor environment any hotter.

Corn is a classic component of our grilled meals. We usually just keep it simple with a little salted butter, but his weekend, I was craving something more flavorful–a slightly spicy, sweet-salty glaze and plenty of garlic. Corn like my mom used to make it.

Taiwanese grilled corn is something you can find in Taipei night markets. Brushed with a soy-based marinade with sweet chili sauce and fresh garlic that seeps into all those little nooks and crannies and caramelizes over the hot grill, this corn is an amazingly juicy and flavorful treat. I like to jazz mine up with a little lime for some tang and a handful of my favorite fresh herbs for more dimension. This marinade is also amazing on chicken and other meats, which is good news if you happen to end up with a little extra sauce after you’ve done your corn.