Name: Korean Corn Cheese
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 11 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1½ cups Corn kernels (canned or frozen); 1 cup Mozzarella cheese; 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon Sugar; 1 tablespoon Butter; 1 stalk Green onion (chopped)

Corn cheese showed up at Korean chicken and beer restaurants — chimaek places — in the early 2010s and became one of those side dishes that everyone orders automatically. The format is simple: corn mixed with mayo and a little sugar, topped with mozzarella, broiled until bubbling and golden. It arrives at the table hot enough to bubble for thirty seconds after it lands.

It should not be as good as it is. Corn and mayonnaise and cheese are not a combination anyone would design on paper. But the sweetness of the corn, the slight tang of mayo, the richness of melted mozzarella — they work together in a way that's immediately understood as delicious rather than technically impressive.

I made this for the first time in Seoul for a group that included my flatmates and some of their friends. One was a woman named Elodie from France who had strong opinions about cheese. She watched me mix corn with mayonnaise and make a face. Watched me add sugar. Made a second face. Then watched me broil it and pull it out with the cheese still bubbling. She ate three spoonfuls and didn't say anything critical again.

The no-oven version in the recipe — stovetop with a lid — works but takes slightly longer and doesn't get the golden spots. The broiler gives you those charred patches that add texture. Either way, drain the corn thoroughly first; excess moisture from the can causes the cheese to steam rather than melt properly into a pull.

The green onion at the end is optional but I always add it. The slight sharpness cuts through the richness in a useful way.

Serve immediately with spoons. It's a communal dish and doesn't belong on individual plates.

Instructions

Drain the corn well. In a bowl, mix corn with mayonnaise and sugar.

Melt butter in a small oven-safe skillet or baking dish. Add the corn mixture and spread evenly.

Top generously with mozzarella cheese. Broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly with golden spots.

Tip: No oven? Cook on the stovetop over medium heat with a lid until the cheese melts.

Garnish with green onion. Serve hot and bubbly with spoons — this is a shared dish.

Korean Corn Cheese

Kon Chijeu

Prep: 3 minCook: 8 minTotal: 11 minServings: 2

Ingredients

1½ cups Corn kernels (canned or frozen)
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Butter
1 stalk Green onion (chopped)(optional)

Instructions

Drain the corn well. In a bowl, mix corn with mayonnaise and sugar.
Melt butter in a small oven-safe skillet or baking dish. Add the corn mixture and spread evenly.
Top generously with mozzarella cheese. Broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly with golden spots.
Garnish with green onion. Serve hot and bubbly with spoons — this is a shared dish.