How To Make Korean Corn Cheese

First, shuck the corn cobs, removing the husks and silks.

Place the shucked corn into a large pot of boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes to parboil them and bring out their natural sweetness.

Remove the corn from the boiling water and place on a tray. Grill the corn either on an outdoor grill or directly over an open flame on your stove until nicely charred on all sides.

To safely cut the kernels off, stand each cob upright in the center hole of a bundt pan and slice downwards with a knife, letting the kernels fall into the pan.

In a saucepan, combine rice wine vinegar, water, sugar, and kosher salt to create the pickling brine.

Add lemon zest and sliced ginger to the brine. Place dried chili, star anise, and black peppercorns in a cheesecloth sachet and add it to the pot.

Bring the pickling brine to a boil over medium-high heat.

While the brine is heating, peel and finely dice the red onions.

Place the diced onions in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling brine over them. Let them sit to pickle.

In a small saucepan, bring the mirin to a boil and carefully flambé it to burn off the alcohol.

Once the flame subsides, whisk in the doenjang and shiro miso until they dissolve into the mirin, creating a sauce base.

In a food processor, combine the Kewpie mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of the prepared miso sauce, and the juice of half a lime. Blend until smooth and creamy.

In a small bowl, mix together the gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes) and Tajín seasoning to create the topping.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the charred corn kernels, 1 cup of the drained pickled red onions, and all of the funky mayo.

Season the mixture with a pinch of kosher salt and chopped fresh basil, then mix everything together until well combined.

Spread the corn mixture evenly in a large oven-safe skillet or baking dish.

Cover the top of the corn mixture with a generous, even layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven at 500°F (260°C) until the cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and slightly golden brown on top.

Remove from the oven and garnish with grated parmesan cheese, a sprinkle of the Korean Tajin, fresh basil leaves, and lime wedges for serving.