Absolutely Brilliant Butter Bath Corn

There are plenty of ways to cook corn on the cob, but not a single one of them will linger in your subconscious the way butter bath corn does. If the name itself doesn’t convince you, the brilliant technique will: cooking ears of fresh corn in a pot of boiling water seasoned with milk, butter, and salt. This method infuses every kernel with sweet, buttery flavor, and gives the corn a luxe, tender texture. Butter bath corn takes less than 15 minutes to make, the ingredients are likely already in your kitchen, and each bite will excite you even more than the last.

Popular in the Midwest (where it’s sometimes called milk boiled corn), butter bath corn is an easy yet ingenious upgrade to boiled corn. Like steaming or boiling, a butter bath makes for tender corn that has a pleasant pop — and, thanks to the milk and butter, it’s extra sweet and flavorful. The process is simple: Bring a pot of water to a boil, stir in the butter bath ingredients (milk, butter, and salt), then add the corn and boil until tender. We tend to keep whole milk on hand, but a lower-fat milk works, too. If you use salted butter instead of the unsalted butter called for, just skip the added salt.

Ready to experiment further? There are endless ways to upgrade this obsession-worthy cooking method. Toss in garlic and herbs, or a little bit of honey and red pepper flakes. And if you love this corn, try bathing all your favorite veggies in a butter bath! You really can’t go wrong.

More flavoring ideas we love: 5 Easy Recipes for Butter Bath Corn