It is not summer until you have corn in the bag. It’s found in every barbecue, it makes a side dish, um, everything, and unless you’re Michael Bublé, no one judges while rubbing with both hands. Fortunately, basic summer food is quick and easy and does not even require hot frying (unless you want to – we have a lot of fun ideas on how to put corn on top). Just a pat of butter and a great spice of salt and pepper.
Table of Contents
Boil in very salty water.
Use the largest pot you have, fill it with water, and season with salt. One of the first lessons I remember from the food school was my chef who called us all and made us taste a spoonful of his pot of salt water. It tasted like sea and he proudly said that every single pot of salt water we use to boil ANY must taste like that. So don’t be shy. Your corn will not taste salty in the end – salt will only help to remove its flavor. Bring your salt water to a boil.
Insert properly.
While your water is hot, remove your corn husks. This can get dirty thanks to all the small strings (AKA still), so we recommend that you do it over the trash can. From the end, grab as many husks and silk as possible and pull them down, towards the top end of the corn. Repeat until all the husks are off. Rub as much silk as possible. (Usually, you will see that the hack to remove the silk to use a clean toothbrush – we do not buy it.)
How long it takes to boil the corn is a big deal here. There are no good signs that it is finished, but it will look bright yellow, a little plupper, and it will be soft and watery. Using forceps, toss your corn in boiling water. Return the boiling water, and cook your corn for 5 minutes. Set a timer because if you allow your corn to ripen the cereals can be difficult. The goal is juicy, crunchy, and not mushy dry. Fresh corn tends to cook quickly over the old corn, so keep that in mind and adjust the cooking times as needed.
Grease the butter.
Sprinkle with melted butter, season with salt and pepper, and allow the summer to begin.
This boiled corn can be made of anything very good, but if you want to go the route of potluck in the summer, a potato salad and burgers are certainly in line with the bill.
INGREDIENTS
4 corn cobs, left
4 tbsp. melted butter
Kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the corn and sprinkle with melted butter, then add salt and pepper.
You can follow one more recipe-
Ingredients Checklist
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon
- 6 ears of corn on the cob, husks and silk removed
Directions Checklist
Step 1
Fill a large pot about 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil. Add sugar and lemon juice, and drain the sugar. Thoroughly dip the cornstarch in boiling water, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and allow the corn to cook in hot water until light, about 10 minutes.
How do you prepare corn for boiling?
When you are ready to cook, remove the husks and silk — no one wants those strings in his way as he bites the corn! This can be dirty work, so get out and work on a trash can or bag. Starting at the top, hold the husks and silk as much as possible and pull down with a few swoops until everything is removed. Rub any extra strings with your hands before cooking — it can be tedious, but it is worth it! If you roast corn, you can store the husks, but you will still want to put them back and remove the silk.
How do you boil corn?
Now, the most important part! Start with a large pot of water and salt with it as freely as you would in a pot of water pasta. Some chefs like to say that it should be as salty as the sea! Don’t be shy – you need water to taste the corn as you cook. (Do not worry, your corn will not taste too salty.) Once you have added salt water, bring it to a boil, then lower each ear while using a fork. The water will stop boiling after the corn has been added, so return it to the intestines, and cook for four minutes. That’s all! Four minutes is enough to make your corn stand out yellow, juicy, and sour — if you cook it too long, the grains start to turn mushy. Set a timer — four minutes shorter than you think!
