How To Eat Summer Corn
Turns out, people have strong feelings.
This is How To Eat, a biweekly newsletter in which I write not just about how to make simple, delicious food, but also how to eat it.
When my brothers and I were kids, it was always our job - along with any friends or cousins who happened to be staying over - to shuck summer corn for dinner. One of us would bring it outside in a brown paper grocery bag, and we’d dump the ears onto our wooden patio table, using the bag as a receptacle for the discarded green husks and translucent silks. (Hard to think of a more perfect task for busy little hands!)
The corn of my childhood was steamed upright in about an inch of boiling water until the yellow kernels seemed to glow, then coated in butter, salted, and served on the cob, usually alongside something grilled. It was undeniably delicious, and made more so by our participation in the process.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that people have such deeply-held views about how to eat their corn. Yet when I conducted a poll of 122 friends on Instagram, I was shocked that a resounding 74% prefer their corn on the cob. There are other battle lines, too. Do you microwave, steam, or grill? Do you leave the husks on during cooking? Are you a typewriter or a rotary eater? Do you have strong feelings about yellow plastic corn-shaped skewers? And speaking of corn gadgetry, is there any other food item that has inspired more single-function tools?
It is corn season, friends, and we must take advantage while we can. I will waste no more time in declaring that despite my upbringing, and at the risk of alienating as much as three-quarters of my readership, I am an off-the-cob person. Cob people, I hope I can convince you to read on. Fresh corn is sweet and subtle, and I would argue that strong flavors make it even better. Contradicting my philosophy on tomato toast, I’d even go so far as to suggest that you overpower it a little. I believe this is easiest to achieve off the cob, although Mexican elote is a strong exception to the rule.
It was this recipe from the great Manhattan restaurant ABC Kitchen that first converted me to corn off the cob. Showered in lime zest and grated cheese, it’s basically healthy(-ish) Doritos that can be eaten with a spoon. What could be wrong with that?
Removing corn kernels from the cob can be a messy business, and for me the best approach is to lay the ear on a cutting board and shave off the kernels from one side with a sharp chef’s knife. Then, lay the flat side down on the cutting board and cut off the next rows of kernels. Continue rotating onto the newly-cut side until all of the kernels are removed.
To make my favorite summer corn, a simplified version of the ABC Kitchen recipe, heat a skillet with a generous glug of olive oil. Add the kernels from three ears of corn; stir. Throw in a shake of red chili flakes and a knob of butter (a tablespoon or so, but I’m not here to judge). When the kernels are cooked but retain their juicy crunch, no more than a few minutes, remove to a serving bowl. Toss with the zest and juice of 1/2 lime and a lot of freshly-grated parmesan.
I have taken a spoon straight to the bowl and called it dinner on numerous occasions. And as an added bonus, no dental floss is required in the consumption of the meal.
Next time: a composed salad.
Previously, hot dogs and tomato toast.
Have never cooked upright corn...and will do so tomorrow. Thank you for the the pro-tip and delicious recipe.
Your way of removing kernels is so 💡I’m going to make this Recipe tonight!