Grilled Corn on the Cob

The light char on the corn combined with the almost creamy tang of the pesto makes this recipe a keeper. I can see these fresh summer-style cobs becoming a regular addition to our bbq dinners. The only adjustment I made was to not even bother with the butter. The pesto is smooth and emulsified which gives it a creamy texture so you don't even need to add the butter, and that's saying a lot from an avid butter fan!

I loved this recipe. It was simple and the char and creamy pesto combo was spot on. In the past, I've cooked corn in a similar way, but instead boiled it a little first to plump up the kernels and then grill it in the husks. In the future, I might incorporate that method into this recipe, because it removes the need for pulling out the silks, which—let's be honest—is the only downside to fresh corn. Either way, how you get some char on the corn isn't really the point—you could do it on a stovetop in a cast iron pan—the real winner here is the creamy, emulsified pesto.

At first, I thought, hmmm...this is quite an oily, runny pesto and I wasn't sure how it would go, but it was perfect for soaking in between the kernels and adding a delightful and fresh flavour to the cooked corn. Even though I'm genetically predisposed to put butter on everything in generous quantities, I didn't want to add it to the corn. The creaminess of the pesto was more than enough and I found the addition of butter removed the fresh flavour of the pesto.

Corn, grilling, and cilantro pesto is an amazing combination. Everyone loved this corn, with requests to make it again as soon as possible. It's easy to make, and I really like that one of the flavors that makes this dish special—the cilantro pesto—can be prepared ahead of time. This is a great family meal or general bbq addition that everyone will love.

I removed the corn silks early in the day and soaked them for 10 minutes right before grilling. The cilantro pesto was quick and easy to make, but I would add less oil next time (probably 1/8 cup less oil). We put the corn on the grill with husks on, as directed. Once initial cooking was done, we peeled back the husks and placed them on the grill with the husks out of the grill as suggested. Because the grill was a little open with the husks hanging out, the temperature of the grill went down, and it didn’t create the grill marks we were looking for. So, we changed the position of the corn and put them entirely inside the grill, and that worked much better. We had to leave on for an extra 6 minutes in this new configuration to produce the grill marks. Next time, we'll just put them completely inside the grill from the beginning, as there was no problem with putting the entire husk inside.

The presentation was unique with the husks on—really dramatic—but impractical, so it really depends on the occasion and what you’re looking for. We served them on a large platter with husks still on, which was really neat, but once people had their corn, it was very messy with lots of husks flying on the table, and people trying to hold onto the husk while eating, etc… I would suggest leaving a few husks on for presentation, but removing the rest for easy serving and eating. This will give a really beautiful visual, but practical to eat.

If you make a large batch and have leftover corn, cut the corn from the cobs and use it in corn salad, over summer garden salad, sprinkled on grilled vegetables, in soup. I used our one leftover corn the next day. I cut the corn from the cob and served it with grilled zucchini, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella. It added a nice crunch and flavor to the dish.