- 12 husked ears of corn (or less if making for a smaller crowd).
Steamed Corn on the Cob
Yield: 12 ears of corn (more or less as desired)
For the best combination of ease and flavor when cooking corn on the cob, steam it! And if you're tired of waiting for a stick of butter to travel around the table, I have a trick for that too.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add an inch of water to a stock pot with a tight-fitting lid that is tall enough to allow the ears of corn to stand upright. Place the husked ears in the pot with the stem end down. They can rest against the side of the pot, but keep them vertical.
- Put the lid on and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Medium size ears will cook in about 15 minutes; large, “meaty” ears will take 20. I tip the lid a few minutes early to check (carefully, as the steam is HOT) and smell. When done, you will smell a distinct sweet corn aroma.
- At this point, you may serve the corn or, if the rest of the meal isn’t quite ready, remove the pot from the hot burner. Then set the lid slightly ajar so that the corn stays warm but doesn’t continue to cook. Serve with buttered bread squares*
- When making some ears specifically for leftovers, I set them aside to cool at this point. After dinner, I cover and refrigerate. The leftover corn will keep for about 5 days and the kernels will maintain more flavor when kept on the cob, slicing when ready to use.
Notes
• I usually plan on 1 or 2 ears of corn per person and aim for leftovers, which can be enjoyed simply reheated or in a variety of salads and other recipes.
Serve with Buttered Bread Squares: Cut a piece of bread into squares that are slightly bigger than a pat of butter. Basic sandwich bread works well, but work with what you have. I usually use Pepperidge Farm 100% whole wheat bread, and get six squares per slice. Gluten-free bread works well too. Top each bread square with a pat of butter, and put all the squares on a plate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. The squares can be used to butter the corn–no mess and no need to wait for the lone stick of butter to be passed around the table. Makes it easy for kids to butter their own corn, and great for buffets too. (And the remaining bite of bread tastes good!)