Beautifully fresh, sweet and juicy corn on the cob is one of the great glories of a Southern summertime. There something sentimental about it – a throwback to summer camp and family cookouts, spreading butter over the hot cobs and sprinkling them with salt, juicy kernels bursting at every bite and the butter dripping down your fingers, even when you use the little plastic corn-shaped picks. I always come home with more corn from the farmers market than I intend to. Corn with evocative names like Silver Queen, Bread and Butter and Peaches and Cream, yellow and white and particolored. I enjoy it straight, or cut from the cob, and I put up little baggies of kernels in the freezer for a taste of summer in the winter. I love the squeaky sound of the husk being pulled back from the cob, because I know the reward that comes makes the effort worth it.
When I invite friends over for a summer cookout, or head to a lake house for a water weekend, I always want to serve fresh corn with the burgers and hot dogs. Seasoned butter is a special treat for corn, and this version could not be a better companion to Southern corn. Salty country ham, tangy green onions and a little kick of mustard add dimension to a perfect cob. This butter is also delicious melted into simply cooked field peas, or frankly spread on a warm biscuit.
- 2 ounces country ham, center cut (1/2 a large slice or a few biscuit slices)
- 4 small green onions
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Pulse the ham and green onions in a food processor (I like to use a mini version) until you have a rough paste. Add the pepper, butter, and mustard and blend until smooth. Scoop the butter onto a length of waxed paper and shape into a log. Refrigerate until firm.
- Slice of pieces of the butter to melt over warm corn on the cob.
- Go traditional and boil the husked ears of corn in a large stock pot which will fit your corn, standing on end is fine, covered with an inch or so of water. Bring salted water to a boil and drop in the husked cobs. Cook for 5- 8 minutes, on the low end for just picked fresh corn, a little longer if you’ve had it for a day or two.
- For corn on the grill, I use two different methods. One is to husk the corn and microwave 3 cobs at a time on a microwave safe plate for 3 minutes to soften the kernels, then place the cobs directly on the grill for about 10 minutes until lightly charred. The alternative is to peel pack the husks, but do not remove them. Remove the silks, lightly brush the kernels with olive oil and fold the husks back up over the cobs. Place on a medium-heat grill for about 15 minutes until the husks are charred.
- I’ve also tried the microwave trick – cut about an inch of the top of each silk end to expose the cobs and microwave for 4 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then slip the corn out of the husk. This does make the corn easy to husk, but I think the corn can come out a little tough, and you do need to do it one cob at a time.
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