Author Notes: Now that the first corn is starting to appear at the markets, it’s pretty much all I can think about, all the time. The flavors are so magically summery: sweet, herbacious, charred, creamy. And it’s super easy. My only advice: make a lot. —lisina
Food52 Review: This is a fast and simple way to make corn truly sing. The basil adds a delightful brightness to the sweet corn, and it plays perfectly with the traditional butter and salt additions. Grilling the corn takes the most time, which was only about 6 minutes. The basil butter is a keeper — and it’s a good thing, because there is a lot of it left over. I would definitely make this recipe again. —figgypudding
Serves: 4 to 8
Ingredients
Grilled Corn
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8
ears of corn, shucked
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Olive oil
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Salt
Basil Butter
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2
sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
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1
cup basil, loosely packed
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1
tablespoon sea salt
Directions
- Preheat grill to medium hot.
- Roll corn in a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. When grill is hot, add corn and close the lid. Rotate the corn a few times, until some of the kernels are blistered and the rest a bright and shiny yellow. This shouldn’t take longer than 8 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, or the corn will be dry.
- Meanwhile, add the butter, basil, and salt to a food processer and let it rip. You may need to scrape down the sides once or twice. When the basil is finely chopped and the butter has a light green tint, it’s done.
- When the corn comes off the grill, slather it with the basil butter. Sprinkle with a little more salt if desired. Eat immediately.
- Note: basil butter can be made ahead and extra basil butter will keep for about a week or two in the fridge. You can roll it into a log with plastic wrap and slice it off as you need it. It’s AMAZING on toast.
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Photo by James Ransom
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