To me, it’s not summer without fresh basil. I grow a giant pot of it every year and use it in sautéed zucchini, tomato and cucumber salads, traditional pesto, homemade red sauce, and the list just goes on and on. Right now my basil is about three feet wide and two feet tall, so expect a pesto recipe soon, as it needs a bit of a trim!
Fresh sweet corn is amazing too; another great part about summer. And the browned butter in this simple summer side doesn’t hurt either. We have found that we prefer to cut the corn off the cob and sauté it rather than eating directly off the cob and there are so many possibilities for mix ins like sautéed peppers and onions, garlic, scallions, and fresh herbs.
The easiest way to “shred” the basil is to stack all the leaves on top of each other to form a little basil boat of sorts; the fancy term being chiffonade. You can then roll them up like a cigar, and then slice thin.
Corn with Basil and Browned Butter
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
Serves 4
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 cups of corn kernels (removed from about 4 ears of corn) 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1 cup of finely shredded basil leaves
In a 12-inch skillet, heat butter over medium high heat, until foaming has stopped and the butter is golden brown and has a nutty aroma, swirling the pan around once in a while to mix the butter. It is best to use a heavy bottom – light-colored pan so you can tell how brown your butter is. Add corn, salt and pepper to browned butter. Cook until crisp, tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with prepared basil. Adjust salt and pepper if desired.
Shee says
I have been looking all over the net for browned butter with fresh basil. Thank you. I will try this out.