Why it works: Lime and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,491 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Grilled Corn with Lime Butter
Ingredients
Directions
Make the lime butter
Add all ingredients except corn to a blender and puree until smooth.
Scrape the contents of the bowl onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into logs.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare and grill the corn
Heat grill.
Peel corn husks down without removing them.
Pull off silk and replace the husks.
Rinse the corn under water and place the corn on grill.
Grill corn 13 min. turning until tender.
Serve
Serve immediately with lime butter.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Chive | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Lime + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,491 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Parsley + limetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together547 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Chive + parsleytop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,150 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Lime + corntop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together773 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Unsalted butter
- Provides fat and richness, carrying the chives, lime and herbs through the dish.
- Fresh corn
- Forms the main body of the dish, cooking to tender kernels over the grill.
- Lime zest
- Adds aromatic citrus oil that brightens the rich butter.
- Lime juice
- Adds acidity that cuts the richness of the butter and sharpens its flavour.
The step that matters
Grill corn 13 min. turning until tender. Turning the ears lets heat reach every side so the kernels cook evenly and the husks char without the corn drying out. Turning often and checking tenderness keeps the kernels juicy rather than tough or scorched.
Swap the chive
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, parsley, lime, pepper, corn):
- Capsicumfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Potatofits about as well
- Chivethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, parsley, lime, pepper, corn. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Corn Fritters203 recipes
Cream of Corn Soup50 recipes
Green Corn Soup46 recipes
Cornmeal Gruel41 recipes