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Buttery Corn and Peppers with Burrata and Basil

Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Large skillet (preferably nonstick)

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp  olive oil
  • 1 medium  yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 3 ears of corn, kernels removed  (or 2 cups frozen corn kernels)
  • 2 tbsp  unsalted butter (use ghee for Whole30)
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2   tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2   tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4  tsp  dried thyme
  • 1/4  tsp  red pepper flakes
  • 1/2  cup  basil, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 4 ounces  burrata, torn into as many pieces as you have eaters  (omit for Whole30)

Substitutions:

  • Olive oil—>  any cooking oil, or use butter, but cook everything over medium heat (not medium-high), otherwise the butter will burn.
  • Onion—> scallions, shallots, red onion, any type of onion! Or stir 1/3 cup diced chives in at the end, with the basil. Or, omit!
  • Peppers—>  any combo of these peppers works. I am not a fan of green bell peppers, but do your thing!
  • Corn—>  no corn? This dish is delish with peppers only. Try throwing some thinly sliced fennel in there!
  • Butter—>  you don’t have to add butter, but damn it’s good! Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil if you don’t want to use butter.
  • Garlic—>  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Smoked paprika—>  regular paprika, or a pinch of cayenne for a little heat instead of smoke.
  • Dried thyme—>  omit, the basil gives plenty of herby flavor. A pinch of oregano or Italian seasoning would add a lot of flavor too, if you’ve got one of ‘em.
  • Red pepper flakes—>  black pepper, or a pinch of cayenne if you like heat.
  • Basil—>  cilantro, or 3 tablespoons oregano, or 1/4 cup chopped parsley.
  • Lemon juice—>  1 tbsp of a light colored vinegar.
  • Burrata—>  totally fine to omit, or go with 1/3 cup of crumbled feta which would be equally fab in a different way (salty versus creamy).

Instructions

  • Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add 1 thinly sliced onion and three thinly sliced bell peppers and saute until softened but not limp, 4 to 5 minutes.Add 2 cups corn kernels, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Continue cooking until the corn is crisp but no longer starchy, 2 to 3 minutes. If at any point the butter starts to brown or get smoky, reduce the heat to medium.
  • Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil and the juice from half a lemon. Transfer to a serving platter or simply wipe down the sides of the skillet. Tear a 4 ounce ball of burrata and distribute over top. Garnish with more basil and serve.
Author: Caroline Chambers