Jul 5, 2018
No room to roast corn? No problem!
It's getting to that time of year in Japan for corn. Although I grew up with corn more as an autumn food, here in Japan it's a preferred snack during the heat of the summer. I don't know about eating a hot corn-on-the-cob when the "feels like" temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius, but I do know that Japanese corn is the best I've tasted (which may be tantamount to blasphemy coming from an American...)
But what do you do if you are like me and only have a little gas range for cooking? Are you destined only to enjoy fresh corn at festivals and farmers markets?
Fret not, because making delicious corn is as easy as pushing a button--literally. All you need is a microwave and some un-shucked corn (available in most supermarkets and farmers markets).
So start with this:
If there seems to be an excess of chaff, peel some of it off. The key is just to make sure corn cob is still fully encased in the husk.
Next, toss it into the microwave:
Microwave at 700W for about 3 minutes. The husk from the corn keeps the cob from drying out and allows for a nice even steaming. And don't worry--it's all completely microwave safe.
When the microwaving is done, be sure to let it cool for about a minute, because the cob will be piping hot.
Once it's cooled, take it out of the microwave and shuck the corn by peeling the husk from the tip that has some chaff on it to the stalk at the bottom of the cob.
If you like the corn cut from the cob, I recommend keeping the husk on and grabbing that so you can hold the cob upright over a plate and shave off the kernels of the corn with a knife. Otherwise, your corn-on-the-cob is ready to go!
No fuss, no muss, and delicious corn right there in the convenience of your own home using nothing more than a microwave!
Hitting the books once again as a Ph.D. student in Niigata Prefecture. Although I've lived in Japan many years, life as a student in this country is a first.
Blessed Dad. Lucky Husband. Happy Gaijin (most of the time).
3 Comments
helloalissa
on Jul 5
Do you mean your stove doesn't have a grill? The grills on most Japanese stoves are perfect (fish or) corn size. We usually eat corn raw, but sometimes boil it or grill it. I guess microwave works too, if you have one.
Candiajia1
on Jul 5
And it’s super nice if after microwaving you just turn your stove on, use a pair of metal tings to hold the corn over the flames for a bit of charring- just rotate it to get it done evenly. Adding a rub of butter( for butter lovers) or coconut butter over the corn with a sprinkling of chili or smoked paprika is sooo sooo divine!
genkidesuka
on Jul 5
@Candiajia1 I love the idea of charring the corn with a little coconut butter. That sounds awesome!