Change Up Corn On The Cob With A Robust Seasoning That's 'Everything'

As the summer heats up, corn on the cob is at its sweetest. And while a bit of butter and salt might be your go-to garnishes, once in a while you should change up corn on the cob with a more robust seasoning. We're talking about a generous sprinkle of everything but the bagel seasoning. Featuring a veritable kitchen sink of seeds and dried aromatics, everything seasoning brings a wealth of savory flavors to complement the sweetness of the corn. Garlic and onion add an aromatic kick, and poppy and sesame seeds pack a nutty, earthy flavor, rounded out with flaky sea salt. You'll get extra depth of flavor but it will also bring a delightful crunch to contrast the juicy pop of the corn kernels.

The simplest way to incorporate everything seasoning onto corn on the cob is by first coating it in the fat of your choice, whether it's butter, avocado or coconut oil, or mayonnaise. The fat will act as a binding agent for all those seeds. Then simply roll the fat-coated corn over a plate that's covered in everything seasoning. An even tastier and more cohesive way to apply everything seasoning to corn on the cob is by making a compound butter with everything seasoning. Simply mix the everything bagel spice and seed blend into softened, whipped butter before spreading it over freshly cooked or grilled corn on the cob.

Everything seasoning is the key to more flavorful corn on the cob, but other household staples will add even more complexity. You can even start seasoning corn during the cooking process by adding lemon juice to the boiling water. The acidic juice will bring a citrusy tang that enhances the corn's sweetness and balances the savoriness of the aromatics and seeds in the everything seasoning. The result? A well-rounded flavor profile that hits nearly every one of the 5 tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami). You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice as the finishing touch to your everything seasoned corn on the cob.

If you want to deepen the corn's sweetness, just add brown sugar to your everything seasoning blend. However, if you want the brown sugar to caramelize, apply it and the everything seasoning blend to buttered corn on the cob before wrapping it in tin foil and grilling or roasting it. To that effect, grilling and roasting are methods that will upgrade corn's flavor and texture alongside additional seasonings. The bitter char from grilled corn will add a smoky element to the savoriness of the everything seasoning and the corn's natural sweetness while also giving the kernels more chew to contrast the crunchy seasoning.