Japanese Butter Corn (Printable Version)

Sweet corn sautéed in garlic butter with a touch of soy sauce for a savory Japanese side.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 ears fresh corn, husked (or 3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed)

→ Dairy

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Aromatics

03 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

→ Seasonings

04 - 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
05 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
06 - Pinch of sea salt (optional)

→ Garnish

07 - 1 tablespoon chopped scallions
08 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

# How To Make It:

01 - If using fresh corn, carefully cut kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foamy.
03 - Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, avoiding browning.
04 - Add corn kernels and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until heated through and lightly golden.
05 - Pour in soy sauce and stir to coat corn evenly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until most liquid evaporates.
06 - Season with black pepper and optional sea salt to taste.
07 - Transfer to serving dish and garnish with chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a secret umami bomb that somehow uses only five ingredients and ten minutes.
  • The soy sauce doesn't make it Asian-only; it just makes corn taste like the best version of itself.
  • Your guests will ask for the recipe and be shocked when you tell them there's no cream, no complexity, just butter doing its job.
02 -
  • Don't walk away when the garlic hits the butter; one moment of distraction and it turns from fragrant to burnt, which is not salvageable.
  • Frozen corn works just as well as fresh if you thaw it first and drain any excess moisture; I've learned this the hard way and now keep a bag in my freezer year-round.
  • The soy sauce needs those last one or two minutes to mostly cook off; if you serve it swimming in liquid, the flavors get diluted and it tastes salty instead of deep.
03 -
  • Cut your corn kernels the day before and store them in the fridge; this actually helps them shed moisture so they caramelize better in the pan.
  • If your soy sauce tastes too aggressively salty, you can balance it with just a tiny drizzle of mirin or a splash of chicken broth mixed in, which a friend taught me and changed my late-night cooking forever.
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