All ears: Roast extra corn for tasty side dish
The easiest side dish for any backyard cookout is roasted corn.
In years past, I often assigned one of the children to the task of shucking corn fresh from our Saturday morning trip to the farmers market for grilling that evening. My youngest developed into a speedy shucking master, even the tedious part of removing the strands of silk nestled along the kernels.
Her biggest fear when in elementary school was the worm that was a staple of corn from family farms that use minimal or no pesticides. Her loud scream the first time she saw one should have been reserved for a rattlesnake and not a 1-inch worm.
She eventually got good at removing the worm, or using a chef ’s knife to hack off the end where the worm took up residence.
The shucked corn was then slathered in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper and rolled tightly into individual sheets of aluminum foil. After about 20-30 minutes on the grill, the corn was ready to serve.
Other back-yard aficionados encouraged me to roast the corn in the husk without all the prep work. Simply cook the corn on the grill in the husk for about 30 minutes, such as on the low flame of a gas grill, turning about every 10 minutes.
I have resisted because I was afraid that the corn silks would be difficult to remove, and I hate the sensation of a strand lodged between my teeth. Turns out my fears were unfounded. Once the husk is cool enough to touch, it is easy to pull back the husks and silk from the top down to the bottom of the ear. If you grab firmly enough, no silks remain along the kernels.
Thankfully I discovered this trick just as my shucking guru is about to leave for college this summer.
To avoid having a little extra protein with your corn in the form of a roasted worm, gently peel back the husk an inch or so at the top of the ear to check for the freeloader. Slide the husk back up and it’s ready for the grill.
With fresh corn coming in season, double what you need for the outdoor