Is there anything more summery than a cool, refreshing noodle dish studded with sweet corn? I think not. I know the world is rushing into the fall but I’m just sitting here waxing poetic about BBQ sides. And yes, a good blogger would be spending their time studying the many culinary uses for pumpkin or sourcing the best apples for pie season but I can’t. I can’t and won’t because summer isn’t over. We wait for it every year and then we try to rush it out the door. Why? This prime BBQ time. The humidity is letting up so firing up the grill doesn’t feel like suicide anymore. So, stop prepping for Thanksgiving, throw a steak on the grill and slurp up a big bowl of these Chilled Coconut Noodles.
Jump to Recipe
The last long weekend of the summer is upon us. When I was a kid I would dread its arrival. And now that I’m an adult, I still do. Why? I don’t know. My brain just hasn’t caught up, I guess. There is something in me that still operates with the school year in mind. I still divide years by Septembers instead of Januarys, which makes no damn sense. I haven’t been in school for nearly a decade and am I childless. But here I am, in the middle of my sense-free life staring down the barrel of yet another Labour Day weekend and feeling a bit shit about it. I worked all summer, I should be happy about a free Monday that coincidently comes with fireworks. But no. I’m not because something in my programming tells me this is the last weekend of summer. But it’s so not!
I have an excellent friend who calls September “Adult Summer”. Her reasoning is this: If you don’t go to school / have any school-age children, summer isn’t over until the 21st. You can maintain summer mode until the inclement weather tells you to stop. They only difference between September and August is not having to dodge a daisy chain of day campers every three paces. So, from now until I don my leather jacket, it is summer. Bring on the Chilled Coconut Noodles with Sweet Corn and Miso Butter.
This recipe is a walk in the park. There is nothing complex or difficult about it. And it takes, like, 15 minutes from start to finish. I realize this is wildly out of character for me but, hey, just enjoy it while it lasts.
Now, while these noodles are far from complex there is one aspect you have to plan ahead for: the coconut cream. Coconut cream is the thick, pure white creamy stuff that settles at the top of a can of coconut milk. You won’t find this white gold if you buy low-fat coconut milk, so don’t buy it. In order to make the dressing for these coconut noodles, you need your coconut cream to thick and firm. And in order to achieve this, you have to put your can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. This is the planning portion of the recipe.
Now, putting coconut milk in the fridge before heading to bed is stupid easy, which is exactly why it’s so hard to remember to do it. But the success or failure of these Chilled Coconut Noodles hinges on it, so set a reminder, ask a friend to keep you on track, tie a bit of string to your finger, do whatever you have to to put that can in the fridge.
From there it’s simply a matter of placing the coconut cream in the blender alongside a jalapeno, a handful of cilantro and a couple of cloves of garlic. And boom! You’ve got a lush dressing that isn’t noodle dependent. No kidding! You can use this dressing on anything and it will be magic.
There is one other ingredient that requires a bit of forethought and that ingredient is butter! Yes, in order to make the miso butter that dresses the sweet corn, you must soften some butter. I know this is a bit of a pain. Who among us hasn’t been waylaid by stubbornly chill butter when we have cookies on the brain? But trust me you don’t want to be whipping white miso into fridge cold butter. It won’t be cute, with or without a stand mixer.
From here there is really just corn to grill, slather and cut from the cob. Cucumbers to (carefully) pass through a mandoline and noodles to toss in a creamy, creamy dressing. Nothing you can’t handle. And if you have a mandoline-related phobia, I get it. Just use a knife and slice the cucumbers. You’re not posting photos of your noods on the Internets, so you don’t have to make your cucumbers into ribbons like a freak.
Congratulations your Chilled Coconut Noodles are complete and ready to be served alongside a big juicy steak, a stuffed portobello cap or a chop of some kind. Whatever you’re flipping from the grill, these noodles are sure to fit right in. And if you aren’t grilling anything because you’re living your long weekend to its slowest, shovel the noodles directly into your face whilst wearing your comfiest, least company-friendly sweats and know that I envy you.
So that’s everything you need to know about these Chilled Coconut Noodles with Sweet Corn and Miso Butter. Creamy, cool and deeply satisfying as only carbs can be, these seemingly seasonal noods might just become a year-round indulgence.
Enjoy!
FollowChilled Coconut Noodles with Sweet Corn and Miso Butter
Ingredients
- 1 can full fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro tightly packed
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 jalapeno coarsely chopped
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 tbsp white miso
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 ears corn shucked
- 225g (8 oz) dried spaghettini or lo mein noodles
- 2-3 mini cucumbers cut into ribbons or julienned
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Open the can of coconut milk. Scoop out the solid, white cream gathered at the top of the can and place it in a large food processor. Discard any remaining liquid in the can.
- Add the jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, and honey to the food processor and blitz until smooth. Pour the dressing into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the sesame oil. Refrigerate until ready to use. Note: the dressing will taste a hair too salty at this point but once you introduce the noodles you'll be glad the extra salt is there.
- Place the butter and miso in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip the miso into the butter on medium-high speed until uniform. Spoon the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
- Grease a cast iron griddle or a BBQ grill with some of the olive oil. Brush the remaining oil on the corn. Heat the grill or griddle over high heat until smoking. Add the corn and grill on all sides until grill marks appear.
- Transfer the finished corn to a plate and spread the miso butter all over it. Set the corn aside. Unless you go completely nuts with the butter, you will have some leftover. Spread it on your toast or add it to your popcorn. You won't be sorry.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta or noodles according to the package's direction. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water.
- Place the noodles in a bowl and pour the coconut dressing over top. Toss to coat.
- Divide the noodles amongst 4-6 bowls. Cut the corn from its cob and sprinkle the corn over the noodles. Add the cucumber ribbons to the bowls followed by a sprinkling of scallions and peanuts. Finally, finished with a handful of finely chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
