Sweetcorn with smoked paprika butter, lime & coriander
This is such an easy dish to make and goes exceptionally well with pretty much anything cooked on the barbecue. A word of advice, though, it’s also extremely more-ish, so you might like to double the recipe! These quantities are for 2 cobs of corn which, depending on their size, serve 3 to 4 people as a side dish. Just double or treble the quantities for larger numbers.
Serves 3 – 4 as a side dish
- 2 cobs of lovely fresh sweetcorn
- 40g unsalted butter
- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- Lime juice, to taste
- 1 – 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, plus a little more, for garnishing
- 2 – 3 tablespoons crème fraiche, optional, to serve
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Shuck the husks and silk from the corn cobs. Level the base, then stand the corn up and, steadying the top with your hand, use a large knife to cut the kernels away from the core. Try to cut as close to the core as you can. Scoop the kernels into a bowl.
Melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan (use a large one for bigger quantities) over medium-high heat. Add the chilli, smoked paprika and salt, and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes to release the fragrance of the chilli and paprika.
Tip in the corn kernels, and continue to cook, stirring regularly, for 6 – 10 minutes, or until the corn is speckled brown and tender when you try a bit. Add a good squeeze of lime juice for a bit of a tang, taste it again and add more, if you like, then stir in the chives.
Scrape the corn into a shallow serving bowl and swirl in a dollop of crème fraiche, if using, and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with a smattering of chives.