; Supermarket Serenade: Sweet Summer Corn with Fiery Habanero-Basil Butter

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sweet Summer Corn with Fiery Habanero-Basil Butter


I don't know about in your neck of the woods, but here in New England the corn is mighty tasty right now.


I love trying the different varieties and from a color perspective I can't decide whether or not I'm partial to the all yellow, all white or mixed kernal variety. It doesn't really matter, all I really know is that I just can't have enough of it right now. I do have a pet peeve about shopping for corn though. I hate when people take the ears of corn and pull the husks down to examine the corn and then toss it back in the bin. There are other ways to figure out if the corn is worthy of your cart. Here are a few super tips on selecting the most succulent corn:


  • Make sure the outer leaves are a vibrant green free of brown spots.


  • Look for the silk nearest the corn to be a light shade of yellow.


  • Feel the corn to make sure it is firm from end to end.

This time of year when corn on the cob is so plentiful at farmer's markets and in supermarkets, it's usually so sweet and tasty it doesn't really need anything additional-just husk, cook and go. But if you're having a special dinner or cookout and want something to make ordinary corn seem a little less ordinary, compound butters are the ticket. Prepare several varieties of butter ahead of time and let your guests choose.


Here are some super tips for cooking your corn:


Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the corn (husks and silk removed) to the boiling water, remove from the heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes or until ready to serve.

Grill the corn right in the husks, just loosen husks and remove just the silk then place the corn directly on the grill cook until charred.

Remove the husks from the corn place on a baking sheet coat lightly with oil and salt then roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.


Fiery Habanero-Basil Butter


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons finely chopped habanero pepper, seeds removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice


Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; chill until ready to use.


Use about 1 tablespoon of butter for each ear of corn. Wrap any remaining butter with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. The butter would be great on grilled steak, you may want to substitute Worcestershire sauce for the orange juice though.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

We must be on the same wave length with the butters! Our corn is still delicious here too. I'm going to try this butter.

Beth (jamandcream) said...

I can taste that butter now! I want some...even though I have just had dinner!!

Allie said...

Yummy I'm drooling already. Spicy butter and sweet corn, how can you go wrong with that?

Anonymous said...

Holy smokes that looks good. I'm one of those annoying people that peels the corn at the market. IN MY DEFENSE... last year The Husband and I picked up a dozen ears from the Farmer's Market and when I came home, happily peeling along I discovered a WORM (alive and kickin) eating the corn! I freaked out, screamed bloody murder and didn't buy fresh corn for the rest of the summer. Thanks for the tips on how to check if it's good...
~The Cat's Pajamas

La Bella Cooks said...

I would love the combo of the spicy butter and the sweet corn. Can it get any better?!? Great idea.

The Blonde Duck said...

My husband is from Louisana, and he's always craving food with "flavor." This would be great!

Emily said...

Mmmm buttah

grace said...

can you believe i spent the first 15 or so years of my life refusing to eat corn on the cob? all that time, wasted. now i can't get enough, and your butter sounds fantastic!