Toni Chapman’s All-American Butter Flight for Grilled Corn

A set of four regional butters for a grilled-corn flight. Guests dress each ear with a different butter and taste across the regions - a relaxed, interactive setup for a cookout or party that doubles easily for a larger group.

Yield: each butter is enough for about 6 to 8 ears of corn. The full flight of four serves a corn bar for 8 to 10 guests.

Shaping - any of the following works:
• Square cube molds. A silicone tray with large square wells gives clean cube blocks.
• Small ramekins. One per flavor, easy to set out for a help-yourself corn bar.
• Logs. Roll each butter in plastic wrap into a log, chill, and slice into coins.
Shape, then chill at least 1 hour (or 20 to 30 minutes in the freezer) before adding toppings. Label each butter by color.

Old Bay Butter
Color: pale yellow with orange and green flecks
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (use a premium butter like Kerrygold for a richer, golden color)
• 1 tbsp Old Bay
• 2 tsp lemon zest, divided
• 2 tbsp chives, chopped fine
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Sweet & Smoky Butter
Color: deep caramel brown
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (use a premium butter like Kerrygold for a richer, golden color)
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp hot honey
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
• Flaky salt to finish

Mexican Street Corn Butter
Color: brick red with white cotija flecks
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (use a premium butter like Kerrygold for a richer, golden color)
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 1 to 2 tsp pureed chipotle in adobo
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/3 cup crumbled cotija, plus more for topping
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped fine
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Garlic Ranch Butter
Color: soft green throughout
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (use a premium butter like Kerrygold for a richer, golden color)
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp dry ranch seasoning
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp scallions, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Old Bay Butter
1. Mash the butter with the Old Bay, 1 tsp of the lemon zest, the chives, and garlic until evenly combined. Taste and add salt as needed (Old Bay is already salty).
2. Shape and chill until firm.
3. Finish with the remaining 1 tsp lemon zest on top before serving.
To serve: a piece of cooked lobster or a poached shrimp.

Sweet & Smoky Butter
1. Cream the butter with the dark brown sugar and molasses until smooth.
2. Mix in the smoked paprika, hot honey, garlic powder, salt, and liquid smoke until evenly combined. Taste and adjust salt.
3. Shape and chill until firm.
4. Finish with flaky salt before serving.
Mexican Street Corn Butter
1. Blend the butter with the mayo, chipotle, chili powder, cotija, lime zest, cilantro, garlic, and salt until evenly combined. Start with 1 tsp chipotle and add more to taste. Cotija is salty, so taste before adding more salt.
2. Shape and chill until firm.
3. Finish with a squeeze of lime before serving.
To serve: extra crumbled cotija, a cilantro sprig, and a pinch of Tajin.

Garlic Ranch Butter
1. Mash the butter with the parsley until softly tinted green and the parsley is evenly distributed.
2. Mix in the ranch seasoning, garlic powder, scallions, dill, sour cream, and salt until evenly combined. Taste and adjust salt.
3. Shape and chill until firm.
4. Finish with an extra scatter of scallion and dill before serving.

Corn
Peel the husks back rather than tearing them off, leaving them attached at the stem end so they fold into a handle. Strip the silk, then tie the pulled-back husks with a strip of husk or kitchen twine. Grill, then set out with the flight.