Broiled Corn on the Cob Rolled in Smoky Chili-Butter and Parmesan

Mariel here. Ahh the simple joy of corn on the cob. This high-summer treat is the stuff of dreams – specifically, my dream of one day living on a farm surrounded by dogs, horses and a small brood of babies. Flash to the present: I’m an indoor kid. A caged city bird perched in a 12-story apartment that’s roughly the size of my childhood kitchen. My two dogs don’t come home with ticks, but with gum stuck in their paws (true story!). Until the day I can convince my husband to abscond from city living and make like Green Acres, I’m making do with what the real estate gods have given us. And that means yet another addition to my repertoire of ever-growing grill-free dishes.

Corn on the cob shouldn’t be boiled, it should be grilled, the way pilgrims intended it to be. But since my apartment building gets all rigid about open flames and fire codes, there’s no chance that I can bully a bar-b up onto the roof. My local grocer, in a heartless attempt to shame my lack of outdoor space, decided to throw a corn-for-all, offering big yellow ears for just 50 cents a cob. So what’d I do? I bought six and then stood baffled in front of my fridge wondering how to cook them without defiling them in boiling water.

Eureka! The broiler!

This fairy tale has a very happy ending and I found – as many of you may already know, but I’m new to this so bear with me – that the broiler can work its charred magic on the cob. I rolled mine around in a little bit of butter spiked with chili powder than gave it another swirl in freshly-grated parmesan. I paired my summery side with homemade tacos, but you don’t need me to tell you all the different ways you can dress up your plate. Happy corning, no matter where you call home!

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Broiled Corn on the Cob Rolled in Smoky Chili-Butter and Parmesan
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 big ears of sweet corn (I prefer the white & yellow variety), leave the husks on – $2.00
3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, very soft – stock
1 heaping teaspoon of chili powder – stock
½-cup of freshly grated parmesan – $4.00
Grand total assuming well-stocked kitchen: $6.00
Cost per ear: $1.50

Directions:
1. Preheat the broiler and make sure it’s good and hot. On a plate, combine the chili powder and butter. On another plate, spread out the parmesan cheese.

2. Once the broiler is ready, broil the corn on a baking sheet or tin foil for about 15 minutes, turning very often with tongs, until the husks are charred and the kernels are firm yet tender.

3. Let cool about 5 minutes, or until you can touch them, then peel back the husks and desilk the corn. Roll each cob in the butter/chili then roll it in the parmesan, coating well. Enjoy!

Tagged as: cooking, food, recipes, Recipes Under $10, Summer, vegetarian