Succulent sweet corn and umami-packed green onions are encased here in crisp waffles. While delicious on their own, the three dips add their own very distinctive dimensions, especially the hatcho miso dip.
There is something about sweet corn that I have never tired of. The childhood memories of sweet corn are still vivid. Picked fresh from the garden, they were boiled, smothered in melted butter and sprinkled with salt. While I still enjoy corn prepared in this most simple way, I have been working on recipes that feature alternative approaches to this versatile vegetable. Take a look at the corn soup and paprika drizzle.
Unlike the waffle recipes that use baking powder as a leavening agent, this recipe uses yeast. It resembles bread and comes with that wonderful yeasty undertone. Using yeast to make the dough extends the preparation time, but it is so worth it.
I teamed the corn up with the green onions (aka scallions or spring onions) because of their umami component. Too many spring onions would overpower the corn. The quantities here work well – a little of that onion bite, plus loads of umami to enhance the sweet corn. As a bonus, green onions are really healthy, as Care2 explains.
And then there are the dips
Do we need three dips? Probably not, but on the day, I really wanted to try these three dip ideas. They all worked so well, so I include all three here.
The hatcho miso dip relies on the very dark style of miso. This miso is made from 100% soybeans, no rice or other grains. It has an intense umami-packed flavour. During a miso tasting in Japan, my daughter compared it to Vegemite. You should be able to buy this miso style in a Japanese or Asian market or on Amazon. It will be harder to find than the much more common white (Shiro) and red miso styles. I also used this dark miso in this delicious red miso broth.
As a dip, you don’t need much, as it is quite intense. Just a little can take the taste of these waffles into an unfamiliar yet welcome direction.
Like the hatcho miso dip, the yoghurt yuzu kosho dip also incorporates flavours unfamiliar to many. This Japanese condiment, available in Asian grocery stores, consists of yuzu (a citrus fruit) and chillis mashed with salt and then fermented. The yoghurt and mayo temper the yuzu kosho’s salty bite, leaving the dip with citrus and chilli notes and a little of that fermentation funk.
Moving from Asia to the Mediterranean, the third dip features smoked paprika from Spain. The smoky-sweet and sour dip is perhaps the most subtle of the three but no less appropriate to accompany the sweet corn waffles.
Sweet corn and green onion waffles with three dips
Equipment
- Waffle Maker
Ingredients
Waffles
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 50 g butter
- 1 tsp bakers yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups cooked corn kernels
- 1 cup chopped green onions spring onions
- Cooking oil or spray for the waffle maker
Hatcho Miso dip
- 30 g Hatcho miso dark brown miso
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Yogurt Yuzu Kosho dressing
- 300 g Greek yogurt
- 100 g Kewpie mayonaise
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp Yuzu Kosho
Yogurt Smoked Paprika dressing
- 300 g Greek yogurt
- 100 g Kewpie mayonaise
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
Instructions
Preparing the waffle batter
- Add the milk and butter to a saucepan and heat over a low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, whisk it in then add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 Tbsp sugar.
- Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove the milk from the heat and allow to cool until lukewarm.
- Add 1/2 cup warm water to a large bowl.
- Add the yeast, stir, then allow to sit until foam forms on the surface (5-15 minutes, depending on the yeast).
- Add the milk mixture to the yeast in the the large bowl and stir.
- Slowly add the flour to the milk and yeast, whisking until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add some salt, and the corn cobs.
- Bring back to the boil, cover, and remove from the heat.
- After 10 minutes, drain the corn and allow to cool.
- After the corn has cooled, cut the corn kernels from the cob.
Hacho Miso dip
- Shake all ingredients together in a shaker and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavours to meld.
Yogurt yuzu kosho dip
- Shake all ingredients together in a shaker and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavours to meld.
Yogurt Smoked Paprika dip
- Shake all ingredients together in a shaker and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavours to meld.
Making the waffles
- Whisk the eggs.
- Add the eggs, baking soda, chopped green onions and corn to the waffle batter. Gently combine.
- Make the waffles according to the waffle maker instructions. Usually about 1/2 cup batter per waffle.