Ina Garten is very particular about the food she prepares and how she prepares it. Among the food items you’ll never find in her kitchen are cilantro, canned vegetables, and grated Parmesan cheese. She’s also admitted to testing her recipes an intense number of times before they go into her cookbooks. So it’s not surprising that when she’s cooking corn, she doesn’t just boil and cut it off the cob. The celebrity chef takes the extra step to ensure the corn retains its bright yellow hue.
In her featured recipe for fresh corn salad on the Food Network’s website, Garten notes that after boiling the corn, she drains and immerses it in ice water both to shock it and also to set its color. Shocking is a classic chef’s trick wherein a food item is plunged into an ice bath after boiling to immediately stop the cooking process. This is usually done for cold pasta salads, so the pasta doesn’t overcook and clump.
Garten also highlighted the importance of shocking corn on her show, “Barefoot Contessa,” saying, “Putting it in ice water actually stops the cooking, but what else it does is it keeps it bright yellow color. We want it to look gorgeous.” For home cooks who want to enhance their food presentation, this trick will lock in that fresh and vibrant golden hue of the corn, so it will not just taste good, but also look pleasing to the eyes when serving.
Why you should follow Garten’s hack when boiling corn
There are many ways to cook corn on the cob. You can grill it, smoke it, or cook it in an oven. You can even make mini-roasted corn using an air fryer. But if you’re going with the most basic technique — boiling — we suggest following Ina Garten’s hack. Boiling corn just takes a few minutes. Depending on variety, freshness, and other factors, it may take two to ten minutes. As a delicate fruit, boiling it for too long can turn its kernels tough and dull, and they may also lose their signature yellow color. By following Garten’s technique, you can guarantee your kernels will be plump, juicy, and bright yellow — as long as that’s the color of the variety you have.
To do Garten’s method, start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn and then let it cook for about two to three minutes if it’s fresh and sweet. Frozen or already husked corn may need up to ten minutes. Once your kernels are tender and the starchiness is gone, immediately drain the corn and submerge it in a large bowl of ice water. If you’re only cooking kernels instead of the whole cob, boil them for about two minutes before draining and cooling. Following this approach will make your corn look fresh and appetizing when it’s time to serve it.
