Grilled Corn with Spiced Chive Butter

Corn is the perfect summer vegetable ‘finger food’ and sure to result in butter dribbling down your chin. Lightly steamed and finished on the grill or barbecue, then dressed up with loads of spiced chive butter and cheese – so delicious!

V GF
serves 6
what you need
6 ears of corn, shucked and cut in half
100g butter, softened
¼ tsp poudre de piment d’Espelette
(you can use sweet or hot paprika instead)
1/3 cup finely chopped chives
¼ cup (25g) finely grated parmesan
sea salt and ground white pepper to taste
¼ cup (25g) finely grated parmesan, extra, and lime wedges, to serve

what you do
1. Cook the corn in a steamer for 5-7 minutes, until just tender and bright yellow in colour (test with a small sharp knife). Remember it will continue to cook once removed from the steamer so get it out sooner than later.
2. Preheat a large chargrill pan or barbeque on a high heat. Drizzle corn with oil and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly until slightly charred all over.
3. Meanwhile, combine the butter, spice, chives and parmesan and season to taste.
4. Pierce each corn cob with a skewer to use as a handle. Spread the spiced butter over the hot corn, sprinkle with grated cheese and serve with a squeeze of lime.

poudre de piment d’Espelette (literally ‘pepper of Espelette’ in French, otherwise known as Espelette pepper) is a hot, dried red chilli powder from the Basque region in Southern France. This unique spice carries a warm fruity flavour and mild chilli heat, making it a versatile addition to savoury dishes, marinades, rubs and seasonings. Available in speciality stores, close substitutes would be paprika, hot paprika, cayenne pepper or Aleppo pepper, depending on the heat of spice required. 

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