Name: Sous Vide Butter-Poached Corn on the Cob
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 4 ears corn , husks and silk left intact, trimmed; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus 2 tablespoons softened; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Corn's flavor intensifies when cooked sealed in a plastic bag. It comes out juicy, crunchy, and sweet—not waterlogged and anemic. To impart some subtle grassy notes, we cooked the corn in the husk, which also made peeling the corn far easier. Our base recipe contains just a little butter and salt, but this method lends itself to all kinds of variations and compound butters: chili-lime, cilantro, even berbere and ras el hanout. Feel free to go crazy.

Before You Begin

Be sure to double bag the corn to protect against seam failure. Corn has a tendency to float when placed in a sous vide water bath, which can lead to uneven cooking. Use weights to make sure the corn is fully immersed during cooking. This recipe can easily be doubled by using a 12-quart container. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 185°F/85°C in 7-quart container.

Place corn, 2 tablespoons butter, and ½ teaspoon salt in even layer in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, weight bag until corn is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release any remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 40 minutes.

Transfer corn to cutting board and let sit until cool enough to touch. Using your hands, remove husks and silk from corn. Brush corn with remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.