Quick Corn

Since getting my Instant Pot a few years ago, I've regularly used it to keep my house cooler in summer and enjoy dishes I might otherwise save for winter or days when I have hours to devote to watching a pot simmer or a pan roast. And when summer rolls around, I make corn. Regularly. Gloriously. Quickly.

Making lots of sweet, tender ears of corn is a snap with the Instant Pot. Just shuck your corn, add them (break them in half if you have trouble fitting them whole into your pot) and about a cup of water to the pot, pop the lid on and set it to cook on high pressure for zero minutes. Yep, you read that right - zero minutes. If you're having trouble wrapping your head around that, it's just fancy-speak for bringing the machine to high pressure and immediately releasing the pressure to make sure you have perfectly steamed corn that's crisp tender and sweet.

I like this lightened version of Mexican Street Corn that forgoes mayonnaise and Mexican crema or sour cream. That version can be lovely too — but I tend to make that on the grill and since I'm making corn nearly once a week, I've adapted the recipe for this technique. Besides, if you have lovely sweet corn, the last thing you want to do is cover up too much of that flavor. So a seasoned butter and sprinkle of Mexican cheese is what I've embraced. Feel free to tweak it to your liking, but this version is quick and delicious … just what I'm looking for in a summer side!