Grilled Sweet Corn with Herb Butter

Valley sweet corn grilled in the husk, then slathered in a chive and garlic scape butter while it's still smoking hot.

Grilling corn in its husk rather than shucked takes a little more time up front, but it steams the kernels while the outer leaves char, keeping the corn juicy instead of drying it out over open flame. This is the method to use when the corn is genuinely fresh — picked that morning or the day before — since sweet corn starts converting its sugar to starch the moment it's off the stalk. The herb butter is where you can make this side your own: chives and garlic scapes are what grow in a North Country garden in midsummer, but any soft herb works. The key is getting the butter onto the corn while it's still hot enough to melt on contact.

Ingredients

• 6 ears sweet corn, husks on
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup finely chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic scapes (or 1 minced garlic clove)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Flaky salt, to finish

Instructions

1. Soak the corn, husks and all, in a large basin of cold water for 15 minutes. This keeps the husks from burning too quickly on the grill.
2. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
3. While the corn soaks, mix the softened butter with the chives, garlic scapes, and lemon zest in a small bowl until evenly combined.
4. Shake the excess water off the corn and place the ears directly on the grill grates, husks on.
5. Grill, turning every few minutes, for 15 to 18 minutes, until the husks are charred and the kernels underneath are tender when pierced with a knife.
6. Let the corn cool just enough to handle, then peel back and remove the husks and silk.
7. Spread the herb butter generously over each hot ear and finish with a pinch of flaky salt before serving.