I can't believe I've never come across this method for corn off the cob before. After our friends Lori and Denny made it for us this weekend, I checked online and there were pages of variations on this same theme. It's so simple that ingredients are measured in units of "some."
Lori & Denny's Skillet Fried Corn
1. Slice some corn off the cob.
2. Chop up some jalapeño chiles (or some of some other kind, if you prefer) and mix with the corn.
3. Melt some butter in a heavy skillet.
4. Add corn/chile combo. Do NOT stir. You can shake the pan a little if you're so moved.
5. When bottom of the mixture is nicely golden brown it's done.
Variations: Use your imagination, but bacon drippings instead of butter is a nice dodge. Let your conscience be your guide.
Nancy absolutely loved this recipe, hence the headline above.
How To Choose Your Corn
And while we discussed all things corny, Nance asked me how I selected fresh corn. My method: "Hope for the best." She had more reliable criteria.
"You want to look and see if there are fresh tassels on there. It's OK if some of them are brown," she said. "You don't want the tassels to be dry. You don't want them to be black."
Husks should be nicely green and "...enveloping the corn rather than kind of laying on it and drying out," said Nance. But her most important point was heft: "So you pick up the corn and it feels kind of light? Put that one back."
And with all that in mind, here's links to two other fabulous concoctions of kernels: acorn soup she wrote about in the Seattle Times and a terrific recipe for a grilled corn and tomato salsa.
"Today's smartest advertising style is tomorrow's corn."
– Bill Bernbach
