Amp Up Your Corn On The Cob Game With Rich Compound Butter

Corn on the cob is a winning side dish for two big reasons — you don't need a recipe to make it, and pretty much everyone likes it. Additionally, corn grows in all 50 states, so it's easy to find in the supermarket, and it only takes a few minutes to cook up a couple of cobs of corn, whether it's on the stove or the grill. Corn on the cob is made even better slathered with butter, of course, but what if that butter could be even more delicious? If you want to take your corn on the cob to the next level, try making compound butter mixed with flavorings like herbs, spices, or something sweet. Corn is extremely versatile, so you can make any kind of compound butter you like.

Compound butter is a little bit like adding sauce in a solid form because once you place the slice of butter on top of the corn, it melts in. This imparts the flavors that you used in your compound butter, like garlic, lemon zest, and herbs, for example. In addition to spicing up your corn, a little compound butter will elevate any backyard barbecue and give your meal a polished, gourmet vibe.

Compound butter has a fancy-sounding name, but it's simply flavored butter. There are tons of recipes for it on the internet and in cookbooks, and you can buy it pre-made at the store, but all you need to know is that it's regular old butter with different ingredients mixed in. You can make compound butter in a stand mixer or a food processor, but you don't need any fancy equipment because it can even come together by hand in a bowl with a spatula. Simply pick a flavor, soften some butter, and mix everything. Then roll it into a log shape using parchment paper and throw it in the fridge.

If you want to make compound butter for your next round of corn on the cob, the most important part is choosing the flavor. Corn itself has a mild, adaptable flavor, so the sky's the limit when it comes to ingredients. Almost any fresh herb will taste great with corn, including chives, dill, parsley, thyme, and tarragon, and every compound butter tastes fantastic with garlic in the mix. If you like your corn with a little heat, try adding some chili powder and cilantro for an elote-style butter, and don't be afraid to add some lemon or lime zest. You can also add brown sugar or honey to your butter for a sweet twist.

Butter is incredibly rich, and can overpower the other ingredients used to make compound butter, so add them generously. But to not go overboard, you need to constantly taste-test the butter as you make it. Keep a baguette or some plain crackers like saltines nearby so that you can have a quick taste. Or maybe even buy an extra cob of corn and use it to taste your butter so you know exactly how it'll taste when dinner is served.

Once you see how easy it is to make compound butter, you'll never serve corn with regular butter again. And if you can't decide on one flavor, simply split a pound of butter into two parts and make two kinds. The more options the better. If there's any leftover, use it up in pasta, spread it on toast, or anywhere else that you'd use a plain butter.