Corn on the Cob Basics, Plus Butter Applications

Corn on the Cob Basics, Plus Butter Applications

by dale reinert

How to Boil It…

Remove all the husks and silk form the corn. Leave about a 1-2 inch stalk at the end as a holder, if you don’t have corn-on-the-cob holders.

1. Place corn in a large pot, cover with cold water, add three teaspoons sugar and one teaspoon salt. Place on high heat and bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes.
2. Turn the heat off. Remove cobs as needed. Corn can remain in water for up to 90 minutes without becoming tough or overcooked.

How to Grill It…

Cut the silky end of the ear with a very sharp knife. Then submerge the ear in a large container of water for at least one hour.

1. Preheat the grill to medium or medium high. Place the soaked ears on the grill in a single layer, turning a quarter turn every ten minutes.
2. Using a tongs, remove the ears from the grill to a waiting platter. Peel back the husks and silk with oven mitts or a fork. While silk is often very hard to remove from raw corn, it comes away freely from steamed cobs.
3. Roll in butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and enjoy.

Compound Butters…

Sometimes, for a change of pace, it’s nice to switch out regular sweet butter for a compound butter – or a butter that has had flavors added to it, like the three the follow and is pictured here from left to right.

Basil Butter
1 stick soft unsalted butter
3 Tbls prepared basil pesto sauce
3 Tbls grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp lemon juice

Chili Compound Butter
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1\2 tsp Tabasco sauce
salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Lemon-Thyme Butter
1 stick unsalted butter
10 chives, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice