Fresh Corn Salad with Brown Butter, Chives & Chiles
August 17, 2026 · Recipe by Food52
Raw sweet corn and chives, doused with brown butter and fried Fresno chiles — from Food52. Eat it while the butter is still warm.
This is Emma Laperruque’s Food52 salad — peak-season corn left raw, then dressed with brown butter and chile. For a cooked skillet that also uses zucchini and tomatoes, see Sautéed Corn, Zucchini & Blistered Tomatoes.
CSA tips: Corn and chives should be room temperature so the butter doesn’t seize. Skip or go light on the chile if you don’t want heat; jalapeño coins work if you don’t have Fresno. Double it for four. Don’t make it ahead — the whole point is warm butter on sweet kernels.
Fresh Corn Salad with Brown Butter, Chives & Chiles
Room-temperature corn kernels tossed with chives, then spooned with brown butter and thin-fried Fresno chile coins. Recipe by Emma Laperruque at Food52 — serve immediately while the butter is warm and melty.
Ingredients
- 2 ears corn, at room temperature
- ¼ cup finely chopped chives, at room temperature
- Pinch of kosher or flaky salt, plus more to taste
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ Fresno chile, sliced into coins as thinly as possible, plus more to taste
Method
- Cut the kernels off the cob into a bowl. Add the chives, season with a pinch of salt, toss, and taste. Divide between two plates.
- Add the butter and chile slices to a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt until the milk solids brown and smell like toasting hazelnuts, about 4 minutes — watch closely once the butter melts. Take it as far as you can without burning, then immediately spoon over the corn. Top with the fried chiles and another pinch of salt.
- Toss so every kernel is coated and eat right away, while the butter is still warm.
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