It’s hard to improve on the delicious simplicity of summer-perfect corn on the cob slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt.
But we figured we’d give it a try anyway. And we quickly learned that fresh corn is a splendid foundation on which all manner of flavor combinations can be built, from sweet to savory (bacon, anyone?) to spicy (chile lime!). So use our list as a starting point and see how many directions you can go with your corn.
1 Blue Cheese Chive Butter
Mash together 4 tablespoons softened butter with 4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese. Stir in 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives and K teaspoon ground black pepper. Spread on hot corn on the cob.
2 Old Bay Boil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season heavily with Old Bay Seasoning. Boil husked ears of corn until tender, about 5 minutes. Serve with butter and an additional sprinkle of Old Bay.
3 Spreadable Bacon
Cook 1 slice of bacon per ear of corn. In a food processor, crumble the bacon and process until finely chopped. Add 1 tablespoon of butter per ear, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and K teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Spread on hot corn on the cob.
4 Herb Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, a hefty pinch of salt and black pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme. Drizzle over the corn.
5 Toasted Almond and Tarragon
Spread K cup ground almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and toasted, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix in 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon and N teaspoon kosher salt. Coat each hot ear of corn with butter, then roll in the almond-tarragon mixture.
6 Toasted Marshmallow
Husk 6 ears of corn, thread on long skewers, and coat lightly with cooking spray. Grill over medium-high until tender and lightly charred, turning frequently. Spread each ear of corn with a couple tablespoons of marshmallow spread (Fluff). Turn the grill flame up (or use a campfire) and toast the marshmallow on all sides.
7 Smoked Feta and Pepper
Finely crumble K cup smoked feta cheese. Mix in 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeño peppers. Coat each hot ear of corn with butter, then roll in the cheese and pepper mixture.
8 Jerk Grilled
Whisk together 1 tablespoon water and 2 tablespoons molasses. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat 4 ears of corn with the molasses mixture. Sprinkle all over with purchased or homemade jerk seasoning. Grill over indirect heat on well-oiled grates until tender.
9 Chile Lime
Spread cooked ears of corn on a platter. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice, finely grated lime zest, ground cumin, minced serrano chile and salt.
10 Saffron and Olive Cream
Mix 2 tablespoons minced Kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons minced green olives, a pinch of saffron and a pinch of black pepper into N cup mascarpone cheese. Spread over hot corn on the cob.
-Associated Press. Photo: Robert Cohen
Author: Mile High Mamas
