Flavored butter makes fresh corn even more delicious

Call me a corn brain if you must. My husband does. When it’s in season, and if I had my druthers, local corn would be on the menu every gol’ darn night until there was no more to be had. That’s how goofy I am about corn.

What I’m speaking about is plain old, finger-licking, teeth pickin,’ five-napkin corn on the cob.

Here are some little flavored butters that offer a bit of variation on the theme of corn on the cob.

Prepare several different flavored butters right away. Then store them in the refrigerator to have on hand for the rest of the corn season. Last year I even made up an extra big batch of my favorite (Kokanee Cafe’s chipotle butter) and gave it away to some fellow corn heads.

On-the-cob tips

Cooking local sweet corn only takes a few minutes. Some folks believe that that means dropping the prepared ears into rapidly boiling water and whisking them from the water 3 to 4 minutes later. That’s definitely the high road. But I’m not quite that fanatical, and so, will not send the corn police in your direction if you want to start the ears in cold water then start the cooking time when it’s reached a boil. And depending on the size and tenderness of the kernels, my time range varies from 4 to 7 minutes of cooking at a boil.

For foil-roasted corn on the cob, remove the husks and silks from the corn, rinse the ears (leaving a bit of water clinging to the kernels) and place in squares of heavy-duty foil, brush with melted butter (or dollops of any of the flavored butters prepared from the recipes below). Wrap well. Roast on a hot grill, turning several times, or in a 375 degree oven (no need to turn) for about 15 minutes.

For grilled corn on the cob, peel back the husks from the corn and remove the silks. Bring the husks back over the cobs and secure each bundle at their ends by tying off with a strip of corn husk. Soak the corn in water for at least 10 minutes. This keeps the corn husks from burning too drastically.

Grill the corn, turning frequently, until the husks are dry and the kernels are tender and beginning to brown around parts of the edges. This takes about 15 minutes.

For steamed corn on the cob, remove the husks and silks and place the corn on a rack in a pot over 1 inch of water and steam for 6 to 10 minutes, depending on size, with lid on.

Off-the-cob-tips

Kernels cut from six plump ears yields about 2 1/2 cups whole kernels.

Add corn kernels to pancake batters, muffins, cornbread, cornsticks, salads, stews and casseroles, a cheese quiche, stir-fry dishes, sauteed pieces of chorizo sausage (along with boiled small new potatoes, onions, and pepper), and scrambled eggs; for creamier sautees, scrape some of the kernels rather than simply cutting them from the cob (then, after sauteeing, add cream and reduce to a thick and creamy texture.

Chipotle corn butter for on or off the cob

1/2pound butter, at room temperature

1tablespoon minced shallots

1teaspoon minced garlic

2tablespoons butter

3chipotle peppers, minced (see note)

1/4cup minced cilantro

Heat about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the shallots and garlic until the shallots are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the chipotle peppers (with some of the liquid from the can) and cilantro.

Let the mixture cool, and then blend it into the remaining softened butter using a wooden spoon.

For corn off the cob: Cut and scrape the kernels from the desired number of ears of corn (figure about 1/2 cup of kernels per ear) and saute in a skillet with a spoonful of the butter until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

For corn on the cob: To serve at the table, place a reasonable portion of the prepared butter in a bowl and pass around the table with the hot corn. Alternatively, place the prepared butter in a shallow bowl and store in refrigerator until needed, then simply roll freshly-boiled and drained pieces of corn (on the cob) around on its surface; serve immediately.

Note about chipotle peppers: These smokey peppers are available canned, in adobo sauce, which is what Meg uses. I have obtained them locally, so check the Mexican food section of a well-stocked supermarket. The brand I’ve used is Embasa.

This is another Kokanee Cafe discovery. It’s also great for vegetable sautes, steaks and chops.

Roasted red pepper butter

1/2pound butter (2 sticks or 1 cup), at room temperature (divided)

1tablespoon minced shallots

1teaspoon minced garlic

2roasted and peeled red peppers, seeded and minced

Black pepper to taste

Heat about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the shallots and garlic until the shallots are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the roasted peppers and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Let the mixture cool and then blend it into the remaining softened butter using a spoon or spatula.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Herbed garlic butter

1/2cup butter, softened

1-2cloves garlic, minced

1tablespoon snipped chives

2teaspoons minced fresh basil (or pesto)

1teaspoon minced fresh oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cream together the butter, garlic, chives, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Let the butter stand, covered, for at least 1 hour before using for the flavors to develop. May be prepared, covered tightly and refrigerated for several weeks.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

Cumin-lime butter

1/2cup butter, softened

1tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1clove garlic, finely minced

1/2teaspoon ground cumin

1/4teaspoon chili powder

1/4teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cream together the butter, cilantro, lime zest, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Let the butter stand, covered, for at least 1 hour before using for the flavors to develop. May be prepared, covered tightly and refrigerated for several weeks.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

Green chili-cheese butter

1/2cup butter, softened

1Anaheim chili, roasted, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

2tablespoons grated Romano cheese

2tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cream together the butter, chili, cheeses, salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for about an hour before using for flavors to develop, or cover tightly and refrigerate several weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months. Soften almost to room temperature before using.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Recipe adapted from “The Southwest Grill,” by Michael McLaughlin

Deviled butter

1/2cup butter, softened

1tablespoon chili sauce

2teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

Dash of hot pepper sauce

Cream together the butter, chili sauce, lemon juice, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and hot pepper sauce. Let sit for about an hour before using for flavors to develop, or cover tightly and refrigerate several weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months. Soften almost to room temperature before using.

Makes scant 3/4 cup.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.