Granny's Fried Corn is a delicious twist on creamed corn, with no dairy! Clearly better than opening a can! Homemade with a smoky bacon flavor, it's one of my favorite childhood memories of Sunday dinners at my grandparents!
Fried Corn is a classic southern dish that I grew up with. My mom finally gave me her recipe for one of our Gr8 Dinners…and it was a hit!
Here's a secret, it's not really "fried" in the classic sense of the word, it's more like "simmered" to get that creamy texture infused with the bacon.
A Mother-in law's tips
My mom says she owes most of her cooking skills to her mother-in-law, my fraternal grandmother.
She said she remembers when she and my dad were first married, she spent many days while my dad was in medical school, with Granny in the kitchen, watching her cook.
Mom said she had to keep a close watch on Granny's technique because back then (and sometimes now) there was no measuring. It was all by sight, smell, taste and feel. Fried corn was no exception.
As a young kid (and still now!) I was always impressed with the patience my mom had with her sharpest knife, making long slices down each row of kernels, making sure she'd get every bit of juice (she called it "milk") from the corn, watching it drip into the bowl.
I know why my mom is so petite! It's quite a workout scraping the kernels off of the cob!
I'd sneak a few ears off the table just to gnaw on them! The sweetness of fresh corn, or what was left of it, was the best!
How fortunate we are (and hopefully where you are too) to have a farmstand not too far away!
Manassero Farms has everything grown right there. No trucks bringing it in to fake you out!
When I plan to make Granny's Fried Corn, off to Manassero Farms I go! You can definitely taste the difference between store bought and farm fresh.
So of course I always seem to bring home more than what's on my list! I think everyone there does!
When the aromas take me back!
I remember the aromas coming from the kitchen on Sundays when this fried corn was being made!
The smokiness from the "bacon drippins" combined with the frying corn and crumbled bacon.... Mmmm-mmm! I can practically taste the memory!
Whether Granny made it or my mom did, I can close my eyes and my heart goes back to those days.
I'm so Gr8ful that Granny passed down her recipes to my mom and now how blessed am I to have them too!
Fried Corn
Ingredients
- 8 ears white corn
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons bacon fat, enough to cover the bottom of the skillet when melted
- ½ green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Shuck corn and remove silks.
- Using a small, very sharp knife, with corn placed vertically inside of a large bowl, slide tip of knife down the center of each row of corn kernels to extract the “milk.” Cut off the tops of the kernels. Then slice down to the core of the cob, removing all kernels and scrape to release the “milk.” Cobs will look dry. Discard cobs, or save for future use.
- Melt Bacon drippings over medium heat.
- Add chopped bell pepper and sauté until softened.
- Add crumbled bacon and the corn and “milk”. Cook, partially covered over medium-low heat until the mixture is creamy and cooked through, about 45 minutes.
- If the mixture is too thick or seems too dry, add a touch of milk or water.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think!