Get those toothpicks ready…

Last week, ears of bicoloured Quebec corn (the tasty yellow and white kernelled kind) were on sale at a few supermarkets at just under two bucks for eight. When you’re living on a budget, a sale on corn is hard to pass up. It’s great to accompany many meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes, and, with plenty of folic acid, potassium, thiamine, vitamin C, and fibre, it’s good for you, too.

It doesn’t hurt that corn on the cob is easy to make, too. I was camping in Lac Mégantic in the Eastern Townships a little while ago and was looking for something easy to make to go with roasted sausages one night. Corn was an easy choice: after about 15 minutes over the fire, the tasty side was ready to everyone’s delight.

My mom makes her corn by either steaming or boiling, and I have a bunch of friends who swear by the simple (and quick) microwave method. My favourite, though, is to roast the corn on my little hibachi grill, because it give it a nice smoky touch.

The best way to do this without burning the corn is to pull back the husks (but don’t remove them) and remove the silk on the inside. Replace the husks and completely soak the ears in water from about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Pour out any excess water before setting them on the grill (if you’re using a gas grill, set it to med-high). Grill the corn for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning them often so the corn does not char.

Once the corn’s done and off the grill, peel off the husks (careful, it’ll be hot) and rinse any excess silk and ash off under warm water.

You can eat the corn just like that, or do what pretty much everyone I know does: season it. Butter and a bit of salt is an old favourite. Add a little parmesan cheese and fresh, chopped parsley too that for a little extra kick. Or, for something spicy, mix some chopped basil, salt, pepper, and chilli powder with a bit of olive oil and lime juice, and brush it on a freshly cooked ear of corn. There are plenty of combinations out there, so make sure to try them this corn season, which runs all summer and into the fall.