Grilled Potato and Corn Salad with Chipotle Mayonnaise

The corn in this salad should be grilled, but what’s the best way to do it? In the husk? With some of the husk removed? Stripped naked? My wholehearted vote is for the “naked” or fully husked, method, which creates an unbeatable toasted popcorn flavor.

The secret ingredients here are the chipotles and adobo. Chipotles are smoked jalapenos and adobo is a tomato-based sauce. A little bit of these guys will perk up any dish.

This salad tastes best when the potatoes, corn, and red peppers are cooked on an outdoor grill, but you can do it all in a broiler, too. Serve with almost any barbecue dish or as patty of a buffet for a large gathering.

1 large red bell pepper
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
1 1/2 pounds large red potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 medium ears corn, husks removed
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 small canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Serves 4

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill and let the coals burn down to a gray ash. (Alternatively, preheat the broiler and arrange the broiling pan about 5 inches from the heat.)

Rub the pepper with a small amount of the oil and place on the grill. Grill or broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat, turning frequently, until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pepper into a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, peel the pepper, remove the seeds and chop fine. Let the fire cool to medium heat.

Toss potatoes with a spoonful of the oil, add salt to taste, and arrange in one flat layer on the grill or under the broiler. Grill or broil, turning often, until browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and toss with the vinegar while still hot.

Rub the corn with the remaining oil, season with salt, and grill or broil, turning often, until light golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Cut the corn off the cob and add to the bowl with the potatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, chipotles, and salt to taste. Add the chipotle mayonnaise, red pepper, and cilantro to the potatoes and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.