The Best Ways to Cook Corn on the Cob

Corn has to be one of the great foods of summer.

There’s nothing like a great ear of corn, with a smear of butter and a dash of salt.

But how do you cook it?

Used to be you just shucked it* and tossed it in a pot of boiling water, but now we have options.

Here are some of the ways I do corn:

1. The easiest and quickest is the microwave. Cut the stem end of the corn close to the cob, peel off the outer layer or two of the husk, and microwave for 1-2 minutes an ear, depending on the size and number of ears and the strength of your microwave. To see if it’s cooked, peel back a little of the husk. It should have lost its opaque luster and the kernels should be bright and almost shiny.
2. My favorite way to cook it? Simply to toss it on the grill, husk and all. We often just put it on when the grill is heating up and let it roast over on a corner, while grilling the rest of the meal. You’ll want to turn it occasionally, but not too often, as it’s better when it gets a little browned in spots.
3. Recently, there were a lot of comments on Facebook about cooking it sous-vide. This method is not quick, or easy (and requires special equipment), but people were raving about how good it was, so I tried it. Not impressed, but the corn was the very first local corn so it may have been the culprit. If you want to try it, husk the corn, seal it in a bag with a pat of butter, and sous-vide it at 183° for 30 minutes. I might give it another shot later in the season, but for now it’s the grill or microwave.
4. Shuck and toss in a pot of boiling water (good for a crowd, but not my favorite method), cook for 10 minutes and serve.
5. For any of these methods, if you really want to show off, take a blow torch to the corn after it’s cooked and shucked. This is a trick I learned from Kerry at Cafe Miranda. It browns the kernels, making them taste like popcorn, and will either scare or impress all of your guests!

What’s your favorite way to cook corn?

*Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to shuck corn after it’s cooked? This is a not-so-subtle nudge to those who insist on shucking it before buying it, a habit I hate! Pick some good-looking ears, put them in a bag (silk ends first, so you don’t rip the bag), take them home and then you’ll have options and fresher corn when you decide to use it.