I've perfected cooking corn on the cob with Martha Stewart's failsafe recipe for a sweet, crunchy side

Martha Stewart's corn on the cob recipe has completed my summer barbecue menu which I've been working to perfect over the past few weeks. Although I love to grill corn on the cob, I wanted to make sure I could boil it perfectly, too and Martha's super simple method has done the trick.

Quick, easy and totally delicious, Martha's method calls for boiling the corn in salted water before topping it with a few staple seasonings. It's the simplest way to create a base for dips, salads, soups and even summer pasta recipes.

How to make Martha Stewart's corn on the cob

• Shuck the corn (see below for how to do this)
• Boil the ears in a pot of salted water until just tender (about 5 minutes)
• Drain immediately
• Serve with salt and butter

How to shuck your corn

Before you boil the corn, Martha recommends two different shucking techniques. If you'd like to do it by hand, start by plucking off the outer husks and thicker leaves before pulling on the inner husks and silks to reveal the kernels. Then, snap off the husks and silks at the base of the ear; you can use a small bristle brush (such as this long-handled vegetable brush from Amazon) for any smaller, more stubborn parts.

If you fancy a less hands-on method, however, slice off the bottom half-inch of each ear (making sure that the husks remain intact) and simply microwave for 2-4 minutes until the steam has loosened the husks. All that’s left to do is free the husked ear by holding the corn carefully at the top.

How to boil your corn perfectly

Once the corn has been shucked, Martha boils the ears in salted water until just tender. This will take around 5 minutes if you're working with smaller kernels, but allow a few extra minutes if your husks are on the larger side. (If you've used the microwave shucking method, the corn will already be partially cooked, so you won't need to boil it for as long).

After cooking, Martha drains the corn immediately and serves it with lashings of butter and a generous sprinkle of salt. The real secret, however, is using a compound butter: Martha advises mashing herbs, spices and alliums (this OXO Good Grips vegetable chopper from Amazon will do the job perfectly) into a few tablespoons of softened unsalted butter before spreading this mixture on top. (I love a herb-butter sauce; this summer herb malfatti is my current obsession).

For a quicker finishing touch, Martha recommends topping your corn with ranch or Cajun seasoning (our home-smoked seasoning will work wonderfully). It's a fool-proof recipe – and one I'm sure I'll use every summer.

Shop everything you need for the perfect corn on the cob

If you're batch cooking for a party or you've just ended up with a few too many leftovers, you might want to know exactly how to freeze corn on the cob – it's certainly been a game-changer for me.