Coconut-Grilled Corn

I am a huge fan of Steven Raichlen and more than a little envious that he gets to travel the globe in search of good BBQ. I DVR his new show Primal Grill as well as his older show, Barbecue University, not to mention I have two of his cook books. But this recipe was featured in his latest season, which the wife and I were watching one day and she asked me to fix it some time with dinner. Now anyone who knows my wife, knows she's a pretty picky eater, thankfully though she has become more willing to try new things the longer were married; and watching cooking shows with her seems to help. Anyways a little about the dish, it will make a great side to just about any meal and it was a huge hit with my wife and little girl. The only downside is that you will want to have tooth picks handy as the sauce makes them stick to your teeth more than normal.

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp, palm sugar or light brown sugar, or more to taste
1 piece (2 inches) pandanus leaf, or 1 to 2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp salt
4 ears sweet corn, husked or husk stripped back and tied together

1. Combine the coconut milk, palm sugar, pandanus leaf or bay leaf, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and let simmer gently until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat and let the basting mixture cool to room temperature.
2. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high.
3. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the corn on the hot grate and grill it until nicely browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all, turning with tongs. Start basting the corn with some of the coconut milk mixture after a few minutes and baste it again several times as it grills.
4. Baste the corn one final time, transfer it to a platter or plates, and serve.