Corn On The Cob With Parmesan and Basil Butter

I'm not usually a fan of corn personally, but in the summer when it's in season, it's sweet and delicious and a staple in our family. I'm a huge fan of grilling everything I can, so that gets extended to corn! But instead of doing the blackened direct grilling which in my opinion makes the corn tough, I love this steaming technique by using the husk and then wrapping it in aluminum foil, then placing it on the grill. Perfectly fine by itself, but I like to kick it up Italian style with some basil butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese right at the end. I'm confident you'll love this recipe as much as my family does.


Corn On The Cob with Parmesan and Basil Butter

4 ears of corn, peeled down to end and silks removed (keep husks if possible)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp basil, finely chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese

Preheat charcoal grill to high (450 degrees if using gas).

In a bowl, combine the butter, basil, a couple of pinches of salt (to taste) and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Incorporate well and set aside. (this can be done in advance and chilled, then brought back to room temperature before use).

Smear the basil butter generously on the corn, then pull back up the corn husks. These will act as an insulator as well as give extra flavor. Wrap the corn (husk and all) in aluminum foil and pinch the sides to make sure no air will escape. If you don't have husks, then just wrap the buttered corn in the foil, but make extra care to make sure it's wrapped very well and no butter will escape during the cooking process.

Throw the corn on the grill and let cook about 20-30 minutes (20 for gas, probably closer to 30 if using charcoal because the coals will get cooler during the cooking process and you'll lose the heat).

Remove and carefully peel back foil -- careful, it's hot! Pull back the husks halfway and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The heat from the corn will slowly melt the cheese right onto the corn itself.

Serve hot and enjoy!