Corn on the Cob

A while back a friend sent me a link to a video on how to cook corn on the cob without those annoying strands of silk. It took me about a year to get around to watching the footage (I was awaiting the arrival of corn season), and I was surprised to see that a microwave oven is the secret.

The technique involves microwaving unshucked ears for 4 minutes each. After cutting off the stem end of the corn, the husks slip off, taking the silk with them. I tried one ear in my microwave. After 4 minutes the corn was grossly overcooked, although I must admit that the silk didn’t stick to the kernels. The concept intrigued me, and it seemed like a perfect experiment for the SousVide Supreme.

I decided to simply seal the raw, unshucked ears in a food bag. That’s it, folks, no prep and nothing else in the bag. After 20 minutes in the water bath I removed the bags, cut them open, and peeled off the husks, which had gotten quite soft and pliable. Nary a silk stuck to the kernels!

The corn was perfectly cooked, crisp-tender the way I like it. A quick roll in some melted butter, and it was ready to serve. Best of all, no flavor was lost to boiling water and there were no pots to clean. Give it a try if, like me, you don’t enjoy picking strands of corn silk out of your teeth.

Allow 1 ear of corn per person

1. Preheat the water oven to 190°F (88°C).
2. Place each unshucked ear of corn in a separate food bag. Fold the top end of the husks and silks down against the ear to create a tight packet. Vacuum seal.
3. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cut open the bags and carefully remove the corn. Peel off the husks and discard. Baste the corn with butter, if desired, and serve immediately.