Mound a pyramid of coals in the centre of the barbecue, and set alight.

Pull down the corn husks but don't remove them. Remove the silks and rinse the corn. Wipe the corn dry. Note: If the husks have already been removed, you can use foil instead.

Put the softened butter in a small bowl with the chives and paprika. Mash the butter with a fork until the chives and paprika are well mixed into it.

Spread a scant amount of butter on each ear of corn. You don't want to use more than half the butter on this step. If you do, make more seasoned butter to serve on the side. Pull the husks back up so all the corn is covered. If there are no husks or if they have been trimmed to expose part of the corn, wrap each ear in foil.

When the barbecue flames have died and the coals are glowing and covered with ash, put the corn around the edges of the grill, not over the coals. Cover the barbecue. Cook the corn 20 minutes if it is young and tender, 25 minutes if the kernels are large. Turn several times during the cooking, so that all sides are exposed to the heat. When the corn is done, quickly remove the husks or foil and roll the ears around on the grill above the coals for just a minute or two, so that they begin to show spots of browning.

Serve the corn with the remaining seasoned butter on the side.