Grilled Corn On The Cobs with Garlic & Herb Butter & Crumbled Feta
By Angela Patel
We may be coming to the end of summer but there’s still a whole harvest of wonderful home-grown fruit and vegetables available – whether to buy or pick from your own garden or allotment.
From runner, broad and green beans to courgettes, peppers and marrows you’ll be spoilt for choice on the veggie front. Other vegetables to look out for include kohl rabi (a small round vegetable similar to turnips) parsnips, fennel, leeks and celery.
The last months of summer are the perfect time for ripe and flavoursome tomatoes, if you haven’t managed to grow your own then take a trip to a farmers market, buy in bulk and use to make soups and roasted garlic and tomato sauce to freeze away for the winter months.
Summer berries reach their peak in August –raspberries, loganberries and tayberries will be a good price as will black and red currants. All these berries freeze well so it’s worth buying in bulk. There may be some late cherries and large dessert gooseberries around too.
Late summer fruits such as plums and greengages will be in plentiful supply and the English apple season starts towards the end of August with a few early varieties such as Discovery. Perfect for lush fruity desserts and bakes or for making pickles, jams and chutneys.
And finally, my favourite buy around this time of year is British grown corn on the cobs still in their husks. They have a wonderful naturally sweet and juicy flavour, way better than the pre-packaged supermarket ones. Make the most of their brief season and buy and cook on the same day, if possible.
Remove the husks and simply boil for a few minutes until just tender but remember not to add salt during cooking - it will toughen the kernels. Or simply roast on a hot barbecue or cast iron griddle pan until lightly charred and serve smothered in a garlic-y herb, chilli and lime butter and topped with crumbled feta for a delicious snack, starter or side dish. Here’s the recipe...
Kitchen tools needed:
Cole & Mason Saunderton Herb Shaker
Cole & Mason London Acrylic Salt and Pepper Mills
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Difficulty Easy
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 75g butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tsp dried herbs of your choice from the Saunderton Herb Shaker (such as oregano and parsley)
- Zest of 1 small lime
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 corn cobs, husks and silks removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 40g feta cheese, crumbled
- Freshly chopped coriander and lime wedges, to serve
Method
- Beat together the butter, garlic, dried herbs, lime zest and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Preheat a cast iron griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Rub the corn cobs lightly with the olive oil and cook on the griddle pan for 12-15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the corn kernels are bright yellow and lightly charred in places (see Tips). Alternatively cook the corn around the edges of a hot barbecue.
- Smother with the garlic and herb butter and scatter over the crumbled feta and chopped coriander and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
TIPS
- Don’t over cook the corn cobs otherwise the kernels will dry out- they should only be lightly charred. Turn frequently and brush with a little of the butter towards the end of the cooking time, if liked.
- Any left over butter will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Use to flavour grilled meat or fish, boiled new potatoes, baked sweet potatoes or spread on toasted slices of French bread or ciabatta.
