The quickest, easiest Corn on the Cob

Microwaving ears of corn in their husks is so fast and so easy. And the corn is absolutely delicious, even without butter and salt. Recipe below.

YOU KNOW THE OLD ADAGE ABOUT IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT’S NOT. Yeah, not this time. This corn on the cob is truly amazing—and amazingly simple to prepare.

Fresh ears of corn, still in their husks, are everywhere right now. Farmers markets, roadside stands and, yes, in your supermarket. And there are plenty of ways to cook them—the classic husk and boil, grilling (we’ve done that too, producing beautifully charred, ready-to-eat cobs)… But several years ago, we discovered this simple microwave recipe, and it has become our absolute go-to. Two minutes per ear of corn and done.

Back then, this recipe was all over the Internet, so we didn’t bother to share it. But we are now for those who may have missed it back in the day. What made us try it in the first place was an unrelated article in the New York Times by Mark Bittman about cooking with a microwave oven. Not reheating already prepared food, but actually cooking fresh food—primarily vegetables—in the microwave.

Bittman cites the late cook/writer/roasting maven Barbara Kafka, who devoted an entire book to the subject, Microwave Gourmet (long out of print, but you can find it through used bookstores, various online outlets and at your library). Kafka says that microwaving fresh vegetables is not only faster than other methods—the food looks better, tastes better and is more nutritious. The corn sold me. If you’d like to try your own hand at microwave cooking, check out Bittman’s article, You Use It Every Day, But Can You Make It Cook? Meanwhile, here’s the corn recipe.

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Microwave Corn on the Cob

Microwaving ears of corn in their husks is so fast and so easy. And the corn is absolutely delicious, even without butter and salt.

Ingredients

• fresh ears of corn, still in their husks

Instructions

• Lay an ear of corn, still in its husk, on a paper towel in the microwave. Microwave it for one minute. Turn it over and microwave it for another minute.
• Using a potholder, take it out of the microwave and let it rest for a few minutes to slightly cool. If you’re making more than one, microwave them as above, one at a time.
• Let your ears of corn rest for a few minutes, then carefully peel off the husks and silk—it stays hot for a good long while. We use a combination of oven mitts, paper towels and derring-do to shuck them. Once you have the husk all down around the base of the cob, give it a good twist and it will come off.
• Eat and enjoy. If you absolutely must, add butter and/or salt. But try it without first. If you started with good corn, it will be juicy and sugar-sweet. Honestly, butter and other adornments will just get in the way of the taste.