Grilled Corn — Asian-Style

An easy, delightful way to dress up grilled corn.

An easy, delightful way to dress up grilled corn.

 

Want to dress up corn on the cob in a whole new way?

Look no further than “Corn with Hosin-Orange Butter” from the new “The Grilling Book: The Definitive Guide from Bon Appetit” (Andrews McMeel), of which I recently received a review copy.

It’s easy as can be — just a matter of grilling whole, shucked ears, then smearing them with a creamy mixture of softened butter, hoisin sauce, Chinese chili-garlic sauce and grated orange zest.

Grab a cob with your fingers and take a bite. You’ll be greeted with a delicious smokiness plus the sweet-savoriness of hoisin sauce that compliments the natural sugars of the corn so well. The orange zest is really what makes it, though, adding a bright, perky complexity. You know the orange butter you like to smear on cornbread? Imagine that flavor with Asian hoisin sauce thrown in. Irresistible, right?

The recipe calls for white corn. But I don’t see why yellow or bi-colored corn won’t work equally well.

Just by chance I happened to uncork a sample bottle of 2011 Joel Gott Oregon Pinot Gris that night. (And yes, he is one of the Gotts of Gott’s Roadside eateries.) It’s summertime in a bottle with plenty of minerality and lemon and lime notes, as well as profound orange blossom. Yes, more orange — a perfect sip alongside this orange-scented corn.

If you’re still planning your Memorial Day barbecue menu, I’ve already got you covered on the wine and the side.

TheGrillingBook

Corn with Hoisin-Orange Butter

(Makes 6 servings)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

3/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing

6 ears of corn, husked

Chopped fresh cilantro

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Mix first four ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Brush grill grate with oil. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until beginning to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush all over with hoisin butter; continue to grill, brushing occasionally with more hoisin butter, until corn is tender and charred in spots, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter; brush with more hoisin butter. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Adapted from “The Grilling Book: The Definitive Guide from Bon Appetit”

MiaoPorkCorn

More Corn Recipes to Try: Miao Pork with Corn and Chiles

cornsalad

And: Corn, Tomato and Scallion Salad

QuinoaLede2

And: Tabouleh with Quinoa, Corn, Scallions and Goat Cheese

Print This Post



21 comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *