Title: Fried Corn
Categories: Side Vegetable Southern
Yield: 6 Servings

10		Ears corn on the cob
1	oz	Fatback (salt pork) cut into
		Thin slices
1	c	Water
8	tb	Butter
		Salt
		Freshly ground black pepper

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 remaaining 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, about 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Perfect fried corn should be thick and sticky. Taste and season.

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.

1 DUPREE, Nathalie New Southern Cooking Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York

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

Comments and submission by John Hartman Indianapolis, IN

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