Grilled Corn in the Husk

Buy, or even better yet, pick the freshest corn you can find. In the
summer months, we go to the Farmer’s Market.

Carefully remove the outer 3 to 4 thick husks and then carefully peel
the remaining husks back to the cob end of the corn without removing
them. Then remove the silk, a tedious little chore, but a necessary
one.

Once this is done, you will wrap the husks back around the ear of corn
and secure it…But wait, you have options. Some chefs will just pull
the husks up around the ears and secure them tight by tying a piece or
two of butcher’s twine around it. While other chefs will chose to
season the corn first. I prefer the latter.

Seasoning the corn can be as simple as brushing it with a bit of
melted butter or even olive oil. You can season it with salt and
pepper or you can get a bit more creative. Try sprinkling some cumin
or chili powder on your corn or even a bit of lime juice. Flavored
butters is another good way to go. Try this…soften a stick of butter
and add the juice of one half of a lime, a tablespoon of chopped
cilantro and a bit of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Blend that
together and brush some on the corn. Or make any kind of flavored
butter (we call it a compound butter in the professional kitchen) that
sounds good to you, maybe a spicy chipotle butter would make you
happy.

Once you have chosen to add flavor or not, you will need to pull the
husks up over the ears of corn and secure them. Use butcher’s twine.
You can find that in the meat department of the grocery store.

You are almost ready to grill your corn. There is one more decision to
make. Should you soak the wrapped corn or not? Soaking the corn will
make more steam inside the wrapped corn as it cooks. And some think
this is more desirable. Not soaking will allow those husks to brown
and burn a little adding more grilled flavor to your corn. My rule of
thumb for what it is worth is soak when corn is not seasoned and do
not soak when it is seasoned.

When you are ready to cook, do so over a medium hot grill and cook for
about 20 to 25 minutes, turning often. Serve at once.