Fried Corn

10 ears corn on the cob
1 oz. fatback (salt pork), cut into thin slices
1 cup water
8 tbsp. butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place an ear of corn on its end in a shallow bowl or pan. Slice the tips of the corn kernels from the cob with a sharp knife. Then scrape the kernels to remove the remaining corn and milk left next to the cob. Repeat with each ear of corn.

Place the fatback in a 10-inch iron skillet or heavy frying pan. Cook until crisp and remove, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add the corn with its milk to the pan of fatback drippings, along with the cup of water. Bring to the boil, stirring. Add the butter and salt and turn down to low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, approximately 30 minutes. Add more water, if necessary. Perfect fried corn should be thick and sticky. Taste and season.

Comments from Kathleen Morrison :

In this old-country recipe, the corn is really not fried but is called fried since it's stewed in an iron skillet. The best kind of corn to use is field or country corn, which has colorful names like Silver Queen or Trucker's Favorite. Field corn isn't as sweet as what we would call sweet corn, but its kernels are bigger. You can, of course, use sweet corn. The starch from the corn milk makes this a rich, thick corn dish.

Recipe from Nathalie Dupree's New Southern Cooking (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.).

The corn varieties noted are actually sweet corns but are of an old-style. Field corn is technically dent corn, the ubiquitous tall stalks that green the Midwestern countryside throughout the summer and are the basis for cattle feed, silage, corn syrup, yellow corn meal and gasohol. -- Comments by John Hartman, Indianapolis, IN.

User Reviews:

My Mom always make this corn and everyone of all ages loved it. She could never make enough! Mom passed away in December and I could not find her exact recipe. I searched the web and found this recipe. Sure enough, it's the one. DELICIOUS!!

submitted by snoopi77 on December 04, 2006

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