flipFresh Boiled Corn on the Cob, Butter and Salt
Fresh Boiled Corn on the Cob, Butter and Salt
Why this dish? Corn was the organism of McClintock's entire life: she grew rows of it at Cold Spring Harbor for her crosses. An ear just picked, boiled, and eaten between microscope sessions is the most authentic meal one can attribute to her.
An ear of sweet corn picked at its freshest, plunged into boiling water for a few minutes, rolled in butter and sprinkled with salt. The absolute simplicity of a scientist who ate to work, not to feast.
You see, I didn't waste time at table: I would pick an ear in the morning, from the very row where I was tracking my crosses, and it would be in boiling water before the sugar in the kernels had time to turn to starch. That's the whole secret — an ear an hour old has nothing in common with one carried from field to pot. A little butter, a little salt, and I'd go back to my microscope. People found me austere; I, for my part, found nothing better than understanding the plant one eats.
- •Freshly picked sweet corn ears — 1 to 2 per person (base)
- •Farm butter — a pat per ear (fat)
- •Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
Fresh Boiled Corn on the Cob, Butter and Salt
An ear of sweet corn picked at its freshest, plunged into boiling water for a few minutes, rolled in butter and sprinkled with salt. The absolute simplicity of a scientist who ate to work, not to feast.
Why this dish? Corn was the organism of McClintock's entire life: she grew rows of it at Cold Spring Harbor for her crosses. An ear just picked, boiled, and eaten between microscope sessions is the most authentic meal one can attribute to her.
You see, I didn't waste time at table: I would pick an ear in the morning, from the very row where I was tracking my crosses, and it would be in boiling water before the sugar in the kernels had time to turn to starch. That's the whole secret — an ear an hour old has nothing in common with one carried from field to pot. A little butter, a little salt, and I'd go back to my microscope. People found me austere; I, for my part, found nothing better than understanding the plant one eats.
Ingredients (period version)
- Freshly picked sweet corn ears — 1 to 2 per person (base)
- Farm butter — a pat per ear (fat)
- Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Sweet corn ears (as fresh as possible) — 4 (base)
- Salted butter — 40 g (fat)
- Fine salt — to taste (seasoning)
- Black pepper (optional) — 1 turn of the mill (accent)
Method
- Husk the ears and remove the silk just before cooking.
- Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil (salt added too early toughens the kernels).
- Boil the ears for 4 to 6 minutes depending on size: the kernels should remain firm and juicy.
- Drain, immediately roll each ear in butter, salt and pepper at the table.
- Eat by hand, without ceremony — as if between two observations.
How it was made : In 20th-century America, sweet corn was eaten as close to harvest as possible, because its sweetness degrades within hours as sugar turns to starch. At agricultural research stations like Cold Spring Harbor, one was right in the middle of the fields: from row to plate, it was only a few steps.
The contemporary twist : Grill the buttered ear for 2 minutes over very high heat for caramelized kernels, then rub with a lime zest: 'lab grilled corn.'
Barbara McClintock · Charactorium
