What’s a 4th of July celebration without corn-on-the-cob? It’s a staple along with burgers, beer and watermelon. But this year you can liven things up with sweetcorn dripping in lime zest, cilantro, cayenne pepper and of course, butter. No need to steam up your cabin with a pot of boiling water, you can make this in your oven or on the grill. This recipe comes from my cruising friend, Anne, who you might remember from the Conch Fritters recipe. She and her family cruised all through the Bahamas and perfected the art of the conch horn that you see above. It’ll be coming out after the fireworks, cause I’m pretty darned good at blowing it!

Corn-on-the-Cob with Cilantro and Lime

6 ears of corn
2 sticks butter
Zest of 2 limes
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat your galley oven to 350º. Or if you are using the grill, light the burner and keep on medium low.

Shuck your ears of corn. (A very strange word, indeed.*)

1. “shuck and drain the oysters”

Grate the 2 limes.

Mince the cilantro. Your cabin is starting to smell the fresh essence of citrus and cilantro.

There is more than one way to make this recipe. Some people soften the butter and cream the lime zest and cilantro, along with the salt and cayenne into the softened butter. To save time today (a watched stick of butter never softens) I melted the butter and added the lime zest.

Turn off your burner as soon as the butter melts. Then add the cayenne and cilantro.

Place your corn on a baking sheet and pour half of the seasoned butter over the corn. Grind sea salt over the ears, then roll in the butter to the other side. Repeat, pouring the rest of the seasoned butter over the corn and top with more sea salt. Cover tightly with foil.

Place in the oven and roast. After 30 minutes, take out of the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before carefully removing the top foil.

It’s ready to eat any time. It can sit out for picking later with no harm done.

Have a great Independence Day, all you pirates out there! Watch those fireworks and honk your horns for an encore. And let us know what’s cooking in your galley this holiday weekend!