Our greatest culinary delights are the simple vegetables of summer – corn, tomatoes and cucumbers. For my June birthday each year, I request the same meal year after year. It doesn’t matter whether we’re having three guests or fifty. We have simple tomato sandwiches (on white bread with mayo) and corn on the cob. Really, the main secret to corn is to have very fresh corn, and not to overcook it. Corn can be boiled, prepared on the microwave or grilled with the husks on. I grew up on boiled corn freshly picked from my grandmother’s garden. But when camping, I prefer it grilled.
For such a simple dish, it can be quite difficult to get it just right. First of all, we must begin with very fresh corn – the kind you get at the farmer’s market. Secondly, there are some (my daughter included) who skip the step of soaking the corn in water, but it does seem to make a slight difference in the juiciness of the finished corn. To get maximum princess sweetness, we will use the method of grilling the corn in the husk rather than wrapping it in foil.
Directions
Start by pulling back the husks (don’t remove!) and getting rid of as many of the stringies (silks) as you can. Put the husks back into place, and immerse the corn in cold water for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, shake (like a polaroid picture) off as much water as you can.
Pull the husks back again, and cover each piece of corn with butter. Cover the corn with the husks again, securing at the end with a small piece of tin foil.
Place the corn directly on the grade over the gray coals (or 350 degree gas grill). Cook for about 5 minutes on each side (corn has four sides), for a total of about 20 minutes. The husks should turn a nice dark brown. If they are black, you might find yourself with two much of smoky smell. What is critical is to be mindful of not overcooking the corn. This is where most grilled corns go wrong.
After removing from grill, you can wrap in a little foil to make them easier to handle and stay warm for a few minutes. Serve right away with butter. Stop messing it up with extra herbs and cheese and cool names like Mexican Street Corn. Corn and butter don’t need any new friends.
