40 AUGUST 2019
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At a market stall in Ocotlán, Mexico, I met a woman who goes by Frida and styles
herself nearly identical to the 20th-century Mexican artist of the same name. She
had wrapped a local semi-soft goat cheese in fresh corn husks—those things I’d
been throwing out my whole life—and placed it over a charcoal grill. Unwrapped,
the cheese was soft and charred at the edges with a faint smoky flavor. I was
taken aback by its utter simplicity, perhaps even more so than the incredible taste.
Back home, I used Frida’s technique with the French-style chèvre that’s easy to
find at any supermarket. The log-shaped goat cheese perfectly replaced the corn
cob in the husk. I also grilled the corn to make a relish seasoned with chile, lime
juice, and plenty of fresh herbs. With the smoky essence of the husk infused into
the hot molten cheese, a generous drizzle of honey melting in, and that charred
sweet corn relish spooned onto a hunk of crusty bread, the only other things
you’ll need are a patio, a pile of friends, and bottle of pink bubbly.
Aw, Shucks Corn husks are the key to
these grilled goat cheese appetizers.
F&W COOKS
featuring
ANDREA
SLONECKER
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