Wok Tossed Corn with Basil Butter and Chili

Ingredients

• Corn: roughly 1 ear of corn per person, so adjust for however many people you are cooking for

• Butter: roughly 1/2 tbsp of butter per ear of corn. This does not need to be a precise measurement

  • Substitute: if you’re vegan or dairy-free you can absolutely use olive oil or other neutral oil here. You just want the corn to cook in a fat

• Basil to taste

• Fresno chili (optional)

  • Substitute: any fresh chili or chili flakes if you want a slight kick

• Salt to taste

Note: this recipe is extremely simple and adaptable. My parents make it all summer long with just butter, salt, and pepper (which is amazing). Feel free to use other herbs and aromatics like ginger or chili. Miso paste would also be a great way to give it more depth—you honestly can’t really go wrong here!

Method

• Cut all the corn kernels off of the cob

  • Tip: when cutting kernels off the corn, your kernels can scatter all over the place. To prevent this from happening either lay your corn down flat on your cutting board and cut down the sides so your knife is parallel to the ear of corn. Alternatively, stand your corn upright in a large mixing bowl (preferably a wide one) and cut from the top down so that your kernels fall into the bowl.

  • Tip: save your cobs to make corn stock!

• Heat up a wok or skillet (cast iron would be great in this case). When your pan is hot, add your butter in so it melts

• Toss your corn kernels into the hot pan. Give it a quick initial stir to make sure all your corn kernels are coated in butter and add a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. If you need more butter, go for it—I’m not sure there’s a thing as “too much butter” in this recipe

• After the kernels are all coated in butter, let the corn sit without agitating it. You want the corn to almost caramelize in places and form crunchy, brown bits, so you have to let it sit undisturbed

• After a couple minutes, give it a stir so that the brown pieces at the bottom are lifted and the kernels at the top can have a chance to brown as well

• While your corn is cooking, dice your basil and chili (if using)

  • Note: when using fresh chilis, the seeds are often the spiciest part, so remove the seeds if you don’t want the added spice

• When the corn is fully cooked (probably around 10 minutes, depending on how many ears you are using), turn the heat off, add most of the basil and chili to the corn, and give it all a stir

• Then transfer the mixture to a bowl and garnish with the remaining basil and chili and fresh black pepper