Vivian Howard’s Cilantro Lime Sweet Corn

Spicy and buttery, this is the perfect make-ahead corn dish for a summer barbecue.

For Mother’s Day, the kids gave me a cookbook that’s been on my wishlist for months: Vivian Howard’s much-acclaimed Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South (Little, Brown and Company, 2016). I don’t know how to articulate my love for this book other than to say that it’s so beautifully written and photographed, even if I never cooked a single recipe from it, I’d still treasure it.

Vivian Howard is the owner and chef of Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, North Carolina and also the creator and star of the PBS documentary and cooking series A Chef’s Life. Her book is so much more than just a collection of recipes — it’s a personal story of Southern cooking filled with warm family anecdotes, tales from the restaurant business, and insight into the food and culture of Eastern North Carolina.

Yes, there are a lot of “cheffy” recipes in the book – like Braised Pork Shoulder and Sweet Potato Free-Form Lasagna or Fried Green Tomatoes with Curried Peach Preserves and Whipped Feta — but for every one of those, there’s an equally homey and simple one, like Grandma Hill’s Candied Yams or this cilantro lime sweet corn that my family loves.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE CILANTRO LIME SWEET CORN

HOW TO MAKE CILANTRO LIME SWEET CORN

A quick note before we get to the step-by-step: this version of the recipe is slightly different than the one in the cookbook. I made a few minor adjustments to simplify it and suit my cooking style, but the essence and taste of the dish are the same.

To begin, remove the kernels from the cobs. The best way to do this is to this (without having corn kernels fly all over the kitchen) is to invert a small bowl inside a larger bowl.

Hold the cob upright on top of the inverted small bowl, with the flatter end down, and use a sharp knife to slice downward as close to the cob as possible.

Next, combine the corn, 1-1/2 cups water, salt and sugar in a 10-inch skillet or medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes — until the corn is tender-crisp and there are about 2 tablespoons of water left in the pan.

Stir in the butter, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and cayenne pepper.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Sweet Corn

Modestly adapted from Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South by Vivian Howard (Little, Brown and Company, 2016)

Spicy and buttery, this is the perfect make-ahead corn dish for a summer barbecue.

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 35 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups corn (cut from about 5 ears)

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• ½ teaspoon sugar

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Zest of 2 limes

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the corn, 1½ cups water, salt and sugar in a 10-inch skillet or medium saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes -- until the corn is tender-crisp and there are about 2 tablespoons of water left in the pan (it's fine to eyeball it; it doesn't need to be exact).

2. Stir in the butter, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve warm.

3. Make Ahead: This dish can be made up to a day ahead of time but wait to add the cilantro until right before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per serving (4 servings)

• Serving size:1 cup

• Calories:234

• Fat:14 g

• Saturated fat:8 g

• Carbohydrates:29 g

• Sugar:10 g

• Fiber:3 g

• Protein:5 g

• Sodium:412 mg

• Cholesterol:31 mg

Special thanks to Jennifer Segal, for the recipe and images. You can support Jennifer by purchasing her cookbook, "Once Upon a Chef, the Cookbook," featuring over 100 delightful recipes.