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Hokkaido butter corn
Buttered sweetcorn
バターコーン (batā kōn): sweet Hokkaido corn kernels sizzled in butter with a splash of soy
Hokkaido grows most of Japan's sweetcorn, and in late summer roadside stands around Sapporo and Furano sell cobs so sweet people eat them raw. Butter corn is how the island turns that harvest into a side dish: kernels hissing in a hot pan with Hokkaido's other pride, butter, and finished with soy sauce until the edges catch. You'll find it as a ramen topping, a beer snack in izakaya and a bento filler. Serve it hot beside grilled vegetables or rice. Chef's tip: let the kernels sit in the pan without stirring for a minute at a time. A few browned, almost toasted kernels give the dish its nutty, popcorn-like smell.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz sweetcorn kernelsfrom 2 cobs, or frozen and thawed
- ⅔ oz salted butter
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 spring onion (optional)thinly sliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: If using cobs, stand each one on a board and slice down to cut off the kernels. Pat frozen kernels dry with kitchen paper: wet corn steams instead of browning.
Step 2: Melt ⅔ oz salted butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it foams and just starts to smell nutty.
1 minStep 3: Add 10 ½ oz sweetcorn kernels in an even layer. Leave it for 1 minute, then stir, and repeat 3–4 times until some kernels are golden brown and the rest are glossy and hot.
5 minStep 4: Common mistake: adding the soy too early, which stops the browning and makes the corn soggy. Take the pan off the heat first, then pour 1 tsp soy sauce around the edge of the pan so it sizzles, and toss.
1 minStep 5: Season with 1 pinch black pepper, scatter over 1 spring onion and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hokkaido butter corn take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of salted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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