The Secret Step To Making Better Fried Corn You Shouldn't Skip

Fried corn is an underrated side you find at many Southern tables, and for good reason: Frying brings out some of corn's nuttier notes, creating an excellent contrast with its natural sweetness. That depth of flavor is often enhanced by frying it with butter and bacon fat, which adds layers of creaminess, salt, and smoke to the mix. If you want to take your fried corn to the next level, however, try an old fashioned trick that uses juice from the cob.

First, strip the kernels from the cob with a knife (or with this handy gadget). After removing the kernels, run the back of your knife up and down the exposed cob. This extracts any leftover bits of corn and, more importantly, squeezes out a loose, creamy liquid. Adding this juice to your fried corn not only boosts its flavor, but also gives it a thicker, silkier texture because it contains a lot of starch, which gelatinizes as it absorbs liquid (with the aid of heat). It's essentially the same as mixing a cornstarch slurry into soup to thicken it, only this time, the slurry comes "premade" in the cob. When this mixes with the sweetness of fried corn, the smokiness of bacon fat, and the richness of butter, you get a velvety, flavor-packed cream that elevates your fried corn.

Scraping the cob for its juice can give you a whole lot of flavor and texture, but truly exceptional fried corn starts at the grocery store. People tend to make a lot of mistakes with fresh corn; some of the more common ones happen when you're picking out ears to buy. For instance, avoid buying pre-shucked corn because its sugars convert to starch faster when the kernals are exposed to air. Buying corn while it's still in the husk and cooking it as soon as you can gets you the sweetest, juiciest results.

You might also try different seasonings for your fried corn. Salt, pepper, and smoked paprika add dimensions of savoriness and spice to the dish, or you can take a page from Mexican elotes and mix in chili powder, Tajín, cayenne pepper, Cotija cheese, mayo, and some lime juice to get an extra-zesty version of fried corn. You can also experiment with extra ingredients, such as chopped onions or bell peppers, to tailor the dish to your palate. Adding a second cooking method to the equation can be another great way to jazz up your fried corn. You could, for example, mix in some flour and fry it up into corn fritters, which turns it into more of a snack than a side dish. You could also mix corn with mayo, sour cream, and seasonings to make a fried corn dip to die for.