How To Give Corn On The Cob A Spicy, Buttery Kick Like Gordon Ramsay

For some, summer isn't complete without corn on the cob. And Gordon Ramsay knows just how to prepare it for maximum flavor, spicing it up with chipotle chilli butter for an unforgettable taste. A sunny side dish staple at backyard barbecues, often enjoyed piping hot off the grill where the flames have licked each kernel, sealing in their natural juices and intensifying their sweetness through caramelization, corn-on-the-cob is the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken, barbecue ribs, or onion-topped cheeseburgers. It's also perfectly portable, sporting built-in handles that allow you to socialize at outdoor gatherings while munching on this satisfying crowd-pleaser. A cooling side of potato salad and a wedge of juicy watermelon, and you have the makings of a quintessential summer plate.

While you can't go wrong with a well-cooked ear of corn with butter and salt, Ramsay's preparation lends a spicy, buttery zing that propels this beloved vegetable to new heights. The "Next Level Chef" star's grilled corn on the cob recipe is bursting with deep flavor from red-ripened, smoked, and dried jalapeños (chipotles), which add just a touch of heat and a smoky quality that amplifies the corn's chargrilling (in season from May to early September). But Ramsay doesn't stop there; instead, he adds coriander leaves, which here in the U.S. means cilantro (here's the difference between cilantro vs. coriander), and lime to brighten an already vibrant zestiness. The result packs a summer party punch, but be forewarned: It's also super messy, but well worth the fuss.

In a clip on his Hell's Kitchen channel on YouTube, Ramsay first prepares his chipotle chilli butter by finely chopping fresh cilantro leaves and adding them to softened butter. For the chipotles, Ramsay recommends soaking dried chiles in hot water to rehydrate them, one of 13 tips you need when cooking with chipotles. Once softened, he drains and finely chops the chipotles before adding them to the butter and cilantro, and mixing everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Next comes the corn. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try Ramsay's quick trick for spectacularly charred corn-on-the-cob using an open flame on a gas stove. Otherwise, Ramsay fries corn-on-the-cob in a pan on the stove on medium heat in olive oil (of course, a barbeque grill would be ideal here). He emphasizes getting a nice brown char on the corn all the way around, adding a few tablespoons of water to the pan near the end, to steam cook the corn throughout. Finally, he removes the corn from the pan, coats it with the chipotle chili butter, and generously crumbles Lancashire cheese on top, serving it with lime wedges. 

While Ramsay's recipe is a sure winner, there's room to play. Change it up by swapping butter for mayo and hitting it with a sprinkling of cotija and cilantro for a smoky chipotle corn, elote style.