The only thing better than a good recipe? When something’s so easy that you don’t even need one. Welcome to It’s That Simple, a column where we talk you through the dishes and drinks we can make with our eyes closed.
Many years ago, I found myself at a bar somewhere in Koreatown on a terrible date. The silver lining? A plate of bubbly Korean corn cheese. The date was with someone I’d met on Tinder (Bumble and Hinge didn’t exist then, okay?) and I decided to give love a chance. We sat down at a two-top with hopeful hearts as he ordered a few dishes, or anju as we like to say in Korean—foods meant to be eaten with alcohol.
We quickly realized we were on a road to nowhere as we fumbled through awkward conversation, mismatched humor, and an overall lack of chemistry. The waiter interrupted us with a plate of corn covered in a blanket of cheese, and I was grateful to have something to distract me. I would force a laugh, take a sip of my beer, scoop up some Korean corn cheese, and repeat until exactly one hour passed and we both got up to leave.
All these years later, I don’t remember what we talked about, or frankly even his name, but I vividly remember how mayo-slathered and perfectly seasoned that dish was. And though I left that date alone, I took the inspiration to make Korean corn cheese at home, which to me, feels like a win.
Here’s how to make Silver-Lining Korean Corn Cheese:
Preheat your oven to 400°. Drain 1 15-oz. can of corn (if you have in-season corn, swap in 2 cups fresh kernels). In a bowl, combine with ¼ cup kewpie mayo, 1 tsp. sugar, ½ tsp. garlic powder (my secret ingredient), ½ cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella, and salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into an oven-safe dish (I used a small baking dish that was 8”x6”, but anything in that realm works). Sprinkle with more mozzarella (a handful, or around ¼ cup), then slide into the oven to bake for around 10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the mixture is warmed through. After 10 minutes, switch your oven to its broiler setting on high and let the cheese get bubbly and slightly charred for about 2 minutes. Serve with any snack-y foods you’d like: Korean fried chicken, French fries, spicy squid—the list is endless.
