A simple 3-ingredient chili butter elevates an ordinary cob of corn into a memorable end-of-summer harvest celebration. Spicy and smoky, it melts into the cracks between the corn kernels, wrapping the cob in a rich, flavourful butter bath. You might need a napkin or two. (Skip to recipe.)
I don't know who's happier when the cornstalks are standing like tall feather-headed soldiers in the garden and the cobs are full, firm, and fat and finally ripe for the eating - Pippa or me. She is one corn-lovin' dog (also carrot-loving, pea-loving, raspberry-loving . . . . okay, she'll eat anything). And I am one corn-lovin' human, especially when I can eat it freshly picked and organically grown, straight from the garden to the pot.
Or straight from the garden to my mouth.
I am a garden eater. I love nothing better than standing in the garden and chomping down on a freshly picked cob of sweet raw corn, milky kernels bursting as I bite into them. But I dare say that I am a bit more delicate and mannerly in my eating than Pippa is. I restrain myself from chomping and devouring the whole cob, sticky bits flying out with abandon.
If you haven't had a fresh cob of corn picked straight from the stalk, you are missing out on one of life's great garden experiences.
I do say though, that the next best thing is eating a cob of golden corn (or two) fresh from the pot and not long from the garden. Nothing celebrates the end-of-summer harvest bounty like biting into that sweet, crisp corn, butter dripping down your chin. Make that a zippy, flavourful chili butter dripping down your chin, and you have discovered summer heaven.
This chili butter is quick to whip up and only needs three simple ingredients. Slather it onto a hot corn cob to provide a warm and spicy contrast to the sweetness of the corn. Make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand.
Corn this good deserves to be eaten as a separate course all by itself.
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Kitchen Frau Notes: It's easy to whip up a bigger batch of this chili butter and keep it in the fridge for a couple weeks. Use it on loose corn kernels as well as corn on the cob, use it as a flavoured compound butter to melt a spoonful on top of a grilled steak, use it to butter burger buns or sandwiches, or to top mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or other cooked vegetables.
In North America, chili powder refers to a blend of spices used for seasoning chili con carne and other chili dishes. In some other countries, chili powder refers to ground, dried hot chili peppers (like cayenne). In this recipe I use the seasoning blend.
Corn on the Cob with Chili Butter
- 4 cobs of fresh corn, shucked
- ¼ cup (115gms) soft butter
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (the seasoning blend), homemade or purchased
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt or onion salt
Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
Add the peeled corn cobs, cover, and return to a boil, then cook for three to five minutes; small cobs 3 minutes, large cobs 5 minutes. (If the corn is straight from the garden, it only needs two minutes.) Use tongs to remove the corn cobs to a serving platter.
While the corn cooks, stir together the butter, chili powder, and garlic or onion salt.
Serve the hot corn with the chili butter, extra salt and pepper, and lots of napkins.
Serves 4.
Guten Appetit!
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Meredith Adams
Great idea Margaret!! I will try this next time we have corn on the cob.
Margaret
Hope you like it, Meredith! It's such a quick and simple way to dress up corn to make it a little bit special. I've been making this chili butter for corn since before we had kids - it's always been a favourite.
Lucia
Hello Margaret 🙂 Hoping you and your family are well, safe, and happy. Pippa is a delight! Thank you for all your great posts. You're a bright spot, especially these days.
Made a huge garden this year, and it's been keeping me busy. Planted a lot of corn (like you, I love it too) and although it was organic and grew well, it was a chore to eat - too tough, so we gave up on it. And the organic seeds I was recently considering from an online catalog had a similar bad review. But your corn looks amazing! Please, can you tell me its name and who sells it? Also, I'm wondering if you know a good way to protect fruit trees during the winter. My fig tree (actually it's more like a small bush) loses its first figs every year - even when I try covering it for winter.
Thanks for being a blessing!
Margaret
Greetings, Lucia! Thank you for your lovely comment and good wishes, we are all doing well considering how the world is topsy turvy right now. Staying home is easy when the yard keeps us busy; we know the winter will be long. Hope you are doing well, too.
That is really too bad your corn was so tough - what a disappointment, especially after all the time spent planting and caring for it. The variety we planted is called ‘Early Sunglow’ by Heritage Seeds (they're brown packages with green writing). I'm not sure if it's available everywhere or online. On the packet it says it is ‘perfect for Canadian short growing seasons’. It was nice and tender and sweet. I have planted other varieties in the past and always had luck with them. I usually pick varieties that are described as sweet, and ones that are for short growing seasons (as that is what we have to deal with up here in the north).
As for fig trees, those are out of my realm of experience, I'm sorry, since they can't be grown in our climate. I have read about people who dug up their fig trees every year, wrapped them, and buried them in a trench each winter, but that seems like an awful lot of trouble. Maybe there are some other tricks out there.
Wishing you a wonderful harvest from your big garden! It is so rewarding to be bringing in all this homegrown produce at this time of year.
Lucia
Thanks - you're so sweet!