With summer coming to an end, we try and fire up the grill as many times as we can in those last few weeks. I have been craving something sweet with a kick ever since summer started, but I just could not put my finger on what I wanted.
With all these summer fairs taking place I thought it would be fun to do a twist on a street fair dish, but after our trip to the South, my stomach cannot handle any more fried food. Keep street fair food in mind, I racked my brain and rummaged through the market; one summer vegetable seemed to be begging me to take it home; corn, it was probably because it was on sale.
Nevertheless, sweet summer corn is one of my favorite things to throw on the grill after a long hot summer day. The flavors of sweet and spicy marry so well on this vegetable, which is why I knew it had to be paired with fresh chili lime butter.
Starting by creating fresh chili powder, I included some of those flavorful summer spices.
Chili Powder
5 Pablano Chilies, dried
3 to 5 Chilies de Arbol, dried
2 Tablespoons Cumin Seeds, toasted
2 Tablespoons Oregano, dried
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
After finely chopping the chilies place them in a food processor and grind until they have become a fine grit. Toast the cumin seeds in a hot pan until they have become a nice shade of golden brown. Combine all the ingredients back in the food processor for one last whirl to make sure everything is thoroughly combined. Store the chili powder in an airtight glass container and keep as you would any other spice.
Using the chili powder, I then used it in the butter.
Chili Lime Butter
½ Cup of Butter, softened
1 Tablespoon Honey, fresh
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice, fresh
½ Teaspoon of Chili Powder
In a glass bowl cream the butter with the honey. Add in the fresh squeezed lime juice and chili powder. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
Lay the butter on a piece of parchment paper and carefully roll the paper to form the butter into a log-like shape. Place the butter in the refrigerator for an hour to chill and harden. Slice the butter into pads and set aside to use on the corn.
Roasted Sweet Corn +Chile Lime Butter
Keeping the corn in their husks, soak them in cold water for about 15 minutes. The water will provide moisture to help steam the kernels. Heat the grill up to 350° F.
After soaking the corn, shake off any excess water and place them on the grill. Once the husks being to show a dark silhouette of the kernels, they are ready to come off the grill. Make sure not to overcook the corn or it will become too soft and mushy.
Once the corn has been husked and cooled, spread a pad of the chili lime butter over the corn. Lightly season with salt and pepper to your taste and enjoy.