Even though the local corn season will only start somewhere in mid-July, devoted corn fans in Seattle should be happy right now since most of the supermarkets offer quite nice Mexican corn. And for a reasonable price, about 50 cents per cob or so. So if you missed this somehow, it would be a good time to run to the store and grab some.
The secret to a great simmered corn on a cob lies in seasoning the water you cook it in. Two ingredients go in there, salt and sugar in equal amounts.
Salt looks logical, right? You put it in a cooking water for pasta, seafood, potatoes, and pretty much anything else. Salt brings out the flavor in all those products. It makes them taste tasty.
But sugar? Sugar may seem a bit counterintuitive. Like, why would you need to sweeten something that is already naturally sweet? Still, adding sugar to a cooking water does magic. It’s a real game changer as it turns a good corn into a fantastic one, no kidding.
I didn’t believe it myself until friends of friends, a Southern couple, introduced us to it, saying that everybody in the South put sugar in corn water. I was sold on the first bite.
Husk the corn, cut off the stalks and remove all the silk (glossy strands that look a lot like blond hair) from the cobs. Place the cobs in a pot and cover with water. Put on the stove on high heat and bring to a simmer. Season the water with salt a bit more than you would do for pasta. It should be slightly oversalted. Add about twice as much sugar. Well, perhaps, a bit less than twice...
Give a gentle stir and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot with a lid and let the corn simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Keep the corn in the same water until serving.
The corn cooked with salt and sugar is quite great as it is. But I like to add some extra touches. Layers of flavors, that is my cooking motto.
While the corn is cooking, melt butter on a stove or in a microwave. You’ll need about 1.5 teaspoons per a large cob. Stir in a pinch of ground chipotle and cumin. Take the corn out of the pot with cooking tongs and place on a paper towel. Let it air dry for several seconds and then brush all over with chipotle and cumin butter. Helping yourself with the tongs (the corn may be still too hot to hold with hands), slice each cob into about 1.5-inch long pieces. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle generously with crumbled cotija cheese and some sliced green onions. Serve right away.
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