Fall is in the air and the harvest is being gathered from the fields now is the time to score some great bargains from our local farms.
For decades I cooked corn on the cob like most everyone else, pick it, shuck it and then boil it.
A few years ago there was a viral video of corn being microwaved inside of its husks (pure genius by the way). This video prompted me to think about the moisture in fresh corn, how corn transforms as it is cooked and what husky metrics make great sweetcorn. Corn, like many vegetables, has enough internal moisture to transform its tough starches into soft, accessible food that is easy to chew.
The microwave technique produces an amazing ear of corn; it offers soft, sweet kernels that easily release from the cob and the flavor is straight corn, it is not diluted or adulterated by the water, butter, added sugar or salt.
The critical failure of the microwave method is that only one or two ears may be cooked at a time. So the question I ask is how do you employ a method similar for the larger quantities of corn?
My solution is to bake the ears in a moderate oven. This allows the available moisture within the ear of corn to gelatinize the starches in the kernel, converting the starches, coaxing the sweet character of the corn.
Preheat your oven to 350F for about 20 minutes. Place corn cobs, in their husks, on a sheet tray in a single layer (feel free to add as many sheet trays as your oven can handle). Bake for 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the corn cobs. When your able to gently squeeze the cobs remove them from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
To serve slice the bottom stalk off the cob then split the top in two and pull down the best part of this is that the silks come right off with the husks, no loose strands to deal with or pick up after (genius). For a large party serve the cobs in theis husks, they will stay warm for at least 30 minutes and allows your guests to share in the work of cleaning the cobs.
The corn will also be great cold, as part of a salad, as a garnish to pasta, pizza or as just straight corn with butter.
I hope this method works for you as it is an amazingly efficient way to put up corn for the winter months.
Baked Corn On The Cob
