Barbecued sweetcorn with burnt lime and sea salt

Name: Barbecued sweetcorn with burnt lime and sea salt
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4

Starter Serves 4 35 min

A mix of sweet and sour makes an interesting departure from butter and pepper on your corn on the cob. We saw this being done in north India on roadside charcoal burners. If the weather isn't good enough, or you don't have a barbecue, use a cast-iron griddle or heavy-bottomed frying pan and fry the corn in their husks, with no oil. Leave them until the husks cook to a dark brown/black colour, then turn every few minutes so the whole husk is coloured, about 15 minutes in total.

Ingredients

4 sweetcorn cobs with the husk still on
2 limes
pinch of brown sugar
butter
flaky or coarse sea salt

Image of Barbecued sweetcorn with burnt lime and sea salt

Method

Prep time: 20 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Step 1
Fire up the barbecue (or see above). Soak the sweetcorn cobs in cold water for 20 minutes. Throw the cobs on the barbecue and cook for about 15 minutes, turning frequently. The husks will burn but you should be left with perfect smoky corn underneath.
Step 2
Cut the limes in half, sprinkle the cut side with a little sugar and rub it in with your thumb until dissolved. Press the lime on to the bars of the barbecue until lightly caramelised. Strip the corn from the husk, slather over some butter, squeeze and rub the lime over the corn and sprinkle with salt.