Barbecued Sweetcorn with Chilli and Lime Butter

Image of sweetcorn growing in the gardenIt’s hard to beat fresh sweetcorn, just picked and thrown straight into a pot of already simmering water, so the sugars don’t have time to turn into starches.

But I’ve been having a freezer clear-out in anticipation of this year’s fruit and veg harvest and the imminent arrival of a whole lamb. Well, not whole, obviously it will have been neatly butchered but anyway I need the space. Lurking in the depths were a couple of bags of last year’s corn crop.

There’s nothing wrong with frozen sweetcorn if it was fresh when it was frozen, if you see what I mean.  The only time sweetcorn is nasty is if it has been sitting on the shelf for too long and has turned shrivelled and tasteless. Ours was plump and juicy but I wanted to spike it up to eat alongside some steaks with Argentinian chimichurri sauce, so this is what I did. Any leftover butter can be frozen, well-wrapped, for a month or two.

Barbecued Sweetcorn with Chilli and Lime Butter

Image of barbecued sweetcorn with chilli and lime butter

Ingredients:

8 corncobs, husks and threads removed

100g salted butter, softened at room temperature

1 medium-hot red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

A small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

The zest of 1 lime

A squeeze of lime juice

Method:

Preheat your barbecue. To make the chilli and lime butter put all the ingredients except the sweetcorn (obvs) in a bowl and mash together with a fork.

Scrape onto a piece of plastic wrap and roll as tightly as possible into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of the clingfilm together. Place in the fridge to firm up.

Image of corncobs with a roll of chilli and lime butter

Bring a large pan of water to the boil on the stove and cook the sweetcorn at a brisk simmer for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Frozen sweetcorn will probably need less time. Drain and allow to cool for five minutes or so.

Brush the sweetcorn with a little oil and cook on the barbecue for about 10 minutes, turning from time to time, until bits of it are tinged with brown. Mmmm, you can see those sugars caramelising.

Image of sweetcorn on the barbecue

Put the corn on a big platter, cut the butter into thin circles and use it to top the corncobs, although it’s very good with grilled meat or fish too.

16 thoughts on “Barbecued Sweetcorn with Chilli and Lime Butter

  1. This is making my mouth water! I’m growing sweetcorn on the allotment but, as with all my endeavours there, it remains to be seen whether I’ll end up eating any!

  2. I’ll bet you will! We have more successes than failures, most years, although there’s always something that doesn’t oblige and throws Him Outdoors into gloom. I have to remind him we’ve already had asparagus, peas, broad beans, new potatoes, strawberries, tayberries, and umpteen salad crops already this year… persevere!

  3. Yum! The simple pleasure of fresh corn grilled on the BBQ satifies me, but come summer I’ll try spiking the sweetness with your delicious butter. I’m salivating at the thought. Thanks..

    • I always forget our seasons are back to front compared to yours (and does the water really go the other way down the plughole?). Meteorologists confidently predict we’ll get one day of sunshine tomorrow before the rain sets in again here. Gather your rosebuds while you may, tra-la. Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. Lxx

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