Miso Butter Corn

“Boiled, steamed, grilled: There are plenty of ways to cook corn, but it turns out, to my everlasting surprise, that microwave has them all beat,” says the headnote in José Andrés 2019 cookbook Vegetables Unleashed, which we reviewed in August 2020, and from which this recipe is adapted. “The corn comes out tender and sweet and the husks and silks slip right off with no effort.”

Yes, that happens sometimes, but not always. And we agree that it’s a great method — especially when you don’t have access to just-picked ears from a farm stand or your own garden and need to settle for supermarket corn.

Slathering it with miso butter and sprinkling with Japanese seasonings is one of four treatments suggested in Andrés’ book (we also love the one he calls Elote Loco). Miso-butter is a crazy-delicious substance that we also love slathered on roasted sweet potatoes. If you’re not familiar with furikake, it’s a dry Japanese seasoning mix that includes sesame seeds, cumbled nori, salt and kelp. Togarashi (more properly shishimi togarashi) is the red pepper condiment you often see on the table in a slim, small bottle in casual Japanese restaurants.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons white miso

1 tablespoon furikake

1/4 teaspoon togarashi

4 ears of corn, still in their husks

Instructions

1. Place butter and miso in a small bowl and use a spoon or rubber spatula to combine them thoroughly. Set aside.

2. In another small bowl, combine the furikake and togarashi. Set aside.

3. Put two of the ears of corn in the microwave and cook on high for 7 or 8 minutes. Carefully remove the corn and cut off the bottom 1/4 inch of each ear (the stem end). Pick up the ear by the top, and the husks and silks should fall off, leaving a clean ear. If they don’t, help them along with a little loosening and tugging. Repeat with the remaining 2 ears. (Note: Cooking 1 ear at a time this way should only take 5 to 6 minutes.)

3. Use a butter knife or small rubber spatula to spread some of the miso butter. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with furikake-togarashi mixture.