Recipe
Remove Kernels Easily with Just 1 Tool! Simple Yet Exquisite Grilled Corn Rice
Ingredients
- 1ear of corn
- 2cups rice
- Water(up to the 2-cup line)
- 20gunsalted butter
- 1tbsp light soy sauce
- 2pinches salt (for the rice after soaking)
- 5gkombu (dried kelp)
- 2pinches salt (for finishing, optional)
About "Grilled Corn Rice"
This recipe uses one fresh ear of corn, keeping the kernels intact using a clever trick with a chopstick or measuring spoon handle. The kernels are pan-seared with 20g of unsalted butter and 1 tbsp of light soy sauce for a savory finish. Cook 2 cups of rice with salt, kombu, and the corn cob to infuse the rice with rich umami. After cooking, remove the cob and kombu, adjust the seasoning with salt if needed, and let it steam for 10 minutes to finish.
Tips for Making "Grilled Corn Rice"
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Prep
- Soak the rice in water for 20 minutes before cooking. This step is crucial because cooking with the cob reduces heat convection, making proper soaking essential.
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Prep
- Add salt only after the rice has finished soaking. Adding salt beforehand makes it harder for the rice to absorb water.
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Prep
- Wrap the corn in plastic wrap and microwave at 600W for 3 minutes, then remove the wrap immediately to prevent overcooking from residual heat.
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Prep
- Instead of cutting with a knife, insert the handle of a MUJI measuring spoon or a diagonally cut chopstick into the base of the kernels and slide it to pop them off cleanly without crushing them.
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Heat Control
- When sautéing the corn in butter, let it sear without moving it too much. Stirring too frequently prevents a nice golden-brown crust from forming.
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Seasoning
- Soy sauce burns easily, so quickly toss to coat and turn off the heat as soon as the moisture evaporates. Over-cooking can cause bitterness.
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Seasoning
- If using salted butter, adjust the saltiness by reducing the light soy sauce from 1 tbsp to about 2 tsp.
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Cooking
- Never mix the ingredients before cooking. Mixing blocks heat convection, leading to unevenly cooked rice or hard spots.
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Cooking
- Break the corn cob in half and cook it with the rice to release rich umami broth. Remove the cob after cooking.
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Finishing
- After cooking, gently fold the rice. Serve as is with side dishes, or add 1 to 2 pinches of salt if eating it on its own or making rice balls, then steam for 10 minutes.
Ingredients for "Grilled Corn Rice"
8 items* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon
How to Make "Grilled Corn Rice"
- 1
Gently wash 2 cups of rice about twice using the 'ogami-arai' method (cradling and washing gently so the grains don't rub against each other and break). Place the rice in the cooker pot, add water up to the 2-cup line, and let it soak for 20 minutes.
- 2
Remove the husk and silk from the corn, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and microwave at 600W for 3 minutes. After heating, use a kitchen towel to carefully remove the plastic wrap immediately to avoid burns.
- 3
Insert the handle of a measuring spoon or the diagonally cut tip of a disposable chopstick into the base of the corn kernels, then slide it along to pop the kernels off the cob. Keep the cob for later; do not discard it.
- 4
Melt 20g of unsalted butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add all the corn kernels, coat them in the butter, and let them sear without moving them too much to get a nice golden-brown color.
- 5
Once the corn is beautifully browned, drizzle in 1 tbsp of light soy sauce. Stir-fry quickly to coat, and turn off the heat as soon as the moisture evaporates.
- 6
Add 2 pinches of salt to the soaked rice and mix lightly. Place the corn cob (broken in half) and 5g of kombu on top. Pour in all the sautéed corn along with any flavorful juices from the pan, spreading it evenly. Do not mix the ingredients at this stage.
- 7
Cook the rice using the 'quick cook' mode.
- 8
Once cooked, open the lid, remove the corn cob and kombu, and gently fold the rice from the bottom. Taste it, and add an optional 2 pinches of salt if eating the rice on its own or making rice balls. Close the lid and let it steam for 10 minutes to finish.
Detailed Commentary on "Grilled Corn Rice"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
Preparing the Rice and the Importance of Soaking
First, we start by preparing the rice base. Today, we are using 2 cups of rice. When washing the rice, we recommend the 'ogami-arai' (cradling) method, where you wash it gently as if wrapping it in your hands to prevent the grains from rubbing against each other and breaking. Washing too much can wash away the rice's natural flavor, so lightly rinsing it twice with fresh water is plenty. Place the washed rice in the cooker pot and add water up to the 2-cup line. Here is an important point: since we are cooking the rice with the corn cob, heat convection inside the pot is reduced, which can prevent the rice from absorbing water properly. Therefore, make sure to let it soak in water for about 20 minutes before cooking. Taking this extra step ensures that even when cooked on the 'quick cook' mode, the rice will turn out plump and delicious without any hard spots.
Prepping and Microwaving the Corn
We will generously use one whole fresh ear of corn as our star ingredient. For prep, start by peeling off the husk. Since we want to keep the cob intact when removing the kernels later, pull the husk firmly from top to bottom to peel it off. We won't be using the silk, so remove it thoroughly by hand. Once peeled, wrap the corn tightly in plastic wrap with no gaps. Place it in the microwave and heat at 600W for 3 minutes. It will be extremely hot after microwaving, so use a kitchen towel to carefully remove the plastic wrap immediately to avoid burns. If you leave it wrapped, the residual heat will overcook the corn, making the kernels too soft and difficult to remove in the next step.
A Clever Trick to Cleanly Remove Kernels
Now, let's remove the kernels from the heated corn. If you cut them off with a knife, the kernels can get crushed, and their delicious juices will escape. Instead, we recommend using a common household tool. The best options are the handle (back end) of a MUJI measuring spoon, or a disposable chopstick with a diagonally cut tip. Insert the handle or the tip of the chopstick into the base of the kernels and slide it along to pop them off. The kernels will come off cleanly from the cob without getting crushed. This keeps the kernels whole and beautiful, making a huge difference in texture once cooked compared to using a knife. Don't discard the cob after removing the kernels; cooking it with the rice yields an incredibly flavorful broth.
Searing the Corn in Butter for Rich Flavor
Melt 20g of unsalted butter in a pan over medium-low heat. If you are using salted butter, adjust the amount of light soy sauce added later by reducing it from 1 tbsp to about 2 tsp. Once the butter is completely melted, add all the freshly removed corn kernels to the pan. Toss them quickly to coat them in the rich butter, and then let them sear without moving them too much. This searing process is crucial for adding a savory aroma and deep richness to the entire dish. Stirring too much makes it harder to get a good sear, so be patient and let them cook until a beautiful golden-brown color develops on the surface.
Enhancing the Aroma with Burnt Soy Sauce
Once the corn has a beautiful sear and you hear a crackling sound, it's time to add the finishing seasoning. Drizzle in 1 tbsp of light soy sauce. The moment the soy sauce hits the pan, it will sizzle delightfully, releasing an incredibly savory aroma of burnt soy sauce. Since soy sauce burns very easily, quickly toss everything to coat, and turn off the heat as soon as the moisture evaporates. Over-frying can cause bitterness, so turn off the heat immediately once the liquid is gone and the corn is enveloped in that savory aroma. At this stage, you have exquisite grilled corn packed with the richness of butter and the aroma of burnt soy sauce.
Golden Rules for Setting Up the Rice Cooker
Add 2 pinches of salt to the rice after it has soaked for 20 minutes. Adding salt at the beginning makes it harder for the rice to absorb water, so it is crucial to add it at this exact moment after soaking. Once the salt is added, mix lightly, then place the corn cob (broken in half) and 5g of kombu on top for extra umami. Pour all the sautéed corn, along with all the flavorful juices from the pan, over the top. Spread the corn evenly across the pot. Now, here is the most important rule: do not mix everything together before pressing the start button. Mixing will disrupt the heat convection, causing uneven cooking or leaving the rice hard. Once ready, start cooking on the 'quick cook' mode.
Finishing with Steaming After Cooking
Once the rice is cooked, open the lid and carefully remove the corn cob and kombu. A lot of delicious broth has seeped out from around the cob. Use a rice paddle to gently fold the rice from the bottom, incorporating air. Give it a taste at this stage. It is delicious as is if you are serving it with other side dishes, but if you are eating the rice on its own or making rice balls, we recommend adding another 1 to 2 pinches of salt to adjust the flavor. After adjusting the seasoning, close the lid again and let it steam for 10 minutes. This steaming time allows the temperature and moisture inside the pot to distribute evenly, resulting in plump, glossy grains of rice.
Tasting the Ultimate Flavor of Grilled Corn
Scoop it into a bowl, and it's finally time to eat! With the first bite, the savory aroma of grilled corn and the rich flavor of butter spread through your mouth, bringing an instant smile to your face. The natural sweetness drawn from the fresh corn and the inherent sweetness of the rice are beautifully enhanced by the saltiness of the burnt soy sauce. Compared to using canned corn, the crisp texture and juicy flavor of each kernel stand out remarkably. Although the seasoning is very simple, the broth from the cob and the umami from the kombu are deeply infused into the rice, creating a rich flavor that will make you want to go back for seconds. It is an exquisite dish that is sure to satisfy everyone from kids to adults, and a must-make during corn season.
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食事処さくらの料理教室
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