Adding Butter To Boiling Water Is A Game Changer For Corn On The Cob
Corn on the cob is one of the easiest side dishes, a fresh and sweet accompaniment to any homey meal. Though there are many ways to prepare it, nothing beats the no-fuss comfort of simple boiled corn on the cob. Your vegetable quota is covered after a fast boil and being brushed with butter. But what if those two steps could be streamlined into one? That's what you can accomplish if you put a generous amount of butter into your corn cooking water.
With this rich addition, you've transformed your boiling water into a luxurious butter bath, coating the corn in its number one condiment. Not only does it season the corn, but it also helps give it a delectable texture, more delicate and soft than the average cob. Indeed, this "butter bath" method is also frequently used for adding richness to sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes. The best part about this hack is that's incredibly easy and fast to accomplish. All you need is a pot, corn, and plenty of butter.
How to transform your plain water boil into a sumptuous butter-based one
Not much will need to change to the standard operating procedure for boiling corn. You'll need a large pot of water at a roiling boil, then you'll add a stick of butter (or eight tablespoons) and let it melt. Once that's melted you'll add in your corn cobs (four to six will suffice), and let everything boil for eight to 10 minutes before removing the corn with tongs. After this, you'll notice that there's not much else the corn needs since that beautiful butter flavor is already infused into the corn kernels.
While one stick of butter is all you need to make a proper butter bath for six cobs of corn, you can throw in a few other ingredients to take it to the next level. Think about adding a bit of whole milk (a cup or so) and some salt to the water as well. However, if you're using salted butter, you may not need to add any salt to the mix. These additions help amp up the rich taste and tender texture. Whether you double down on the dairy richness or not, butter alone will bring plenty of good flavor to your standard boiled corn.