What Marcus Samuelsson Puts On His Corn On The Cob — And You Should Too

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Sometimes, when all of the conditions are just right, there are some foods that shouldn't be messed with. Corn on the cob can be one of them, especially if it's picked at the perfect moment. But there are other times when we need to level things up, and coating corn like Marcus Samuelsson does is certainly a great way to do that.

The Ethiopian-Swedish chef likes to add unconventional flavors to his corn using ingredients like soy sauce, Aleppo pepper, and lime. Samuelsson shared his recipe for his "Lip Smackin' Good Corn on the Cob" in his 2014 cookbook, "Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home." The recipe was inspired by Mexican street corn, but it nixes the mayonnaise and incorporates some new flavors.

First, he mixes butter with fresh garlic, a spoonful of soy sauce, and some Aleppo pepper, a complex, smoky flaked red pepper popular in Middle Eastern cooking. When his corn is cooked, he smothers the ears with the flavored butter and tops them with queso fresco and a squeeze of lime juice. Everything is topped off with some cilantro and served immediately.

It might sound like a lot, but the combination is absolutely delicious. The subtle heat from the Aleppo pepper balances the sweetness of the corn, while the cheese adds texture and sharpness. There's also some umami there from the soy sauce, and the tartness from the lime helps bring everything together.

If you don't have all of the ingredients on hand, a butter mixed simply with Aleppo pepper or lime juice will taste great spread on the corn. Or you can mix Aleppo pepper with Parmesan to make a spicy, cheesy topping that people can sprinkle on their corn as they wish. If you can't find Aleppo, red pepper flakes will do, and you can sub feta for queso fresco. Samuelsson grills his corn for this recipe, but you can cook the corn any way you'd like.

Samuelsson previously shared recipes for corn with berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend, and he makes a corn salad. Additionally, he told Tasting Table that he serves corn at his everything Thanksgiving dinner, proving it can be eaten any time of the year — and that this recipe is a great way to dress it up.