Fried Corn

In honor of the weekend of leftovers, I will share with you one of my Thanksgiving dinner traditions – Fried Corn.

Interestingly, many people I talk to about fried corn aren’t familiar with it. It’s simple, delicious, and typical of many Southern dishes. And by typical of Southern dishes, I mean it has lots of butter in it! All I can say is, if you haven’t tried it, don’t knock it.

Surprisingly, there are actually quite a few recipes for fried corn. Grandbaby Cakes has a great article on the origins of fried corn as a Southern delicacy and shares a traditional recipe for it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m lazy or not, but I suppose my version of the recipe is about as simple as you can get. Let me know if you try it, and what you think.

Fried Corn

Prep Time

*How long it takes to prep depends on whether or not you shuck the ears of corn, or buy them already shucked. It probably takes me about 10 minutes to get all the ears cut and then clean up.

Cook Time

Depending on your stove and how browned you like your corn, it will take about 15 – 20 minutes to fry it up. So, although it’s simple, it’s not a cook something quick after a long day at work dish.

Total Time

About 30 minutes (sans shucking)

Ingredients

10 – 12 fresh ears of corn, 1 stick of butter, salt, pepper

Directions

1. After rinsing the ears of corn, cut the kernels off.
2. Put them in a frying pan with a stick of butter (which is the same amount as 1/2 cup).
3. Sprinkle with salt. I usually brandish the salt container over the corn while I count to ten. If I had to guess, it’s probably about a teaspoon’s worth.
4. Cook over medium-high and stir regularly.
5. Once the butter melts and has coated the corn, add pepper to taste. I like a lot.
6. Continue to cook until the corn starts to brown (or look caramelized).
7. Serve and eat hot.

*Maybe I’m not so lazy after all, because I always buy my ears of corn still in the husk. There’s something about shucking them that seems to make the dish taste better.

Oh, and if you’re anal about getting all the strings off, there’s a way to make that easier. Cut or break the bottom of the ears off. Put them in the microwave (maybe four at a time) for a few minutes. Then shuck them while they’re still hot. The strings will peel right off with the husk.