Southern fried fresh corn is a staple side dish of the southern United States. Typically made with bacon, for this recipe I use vegan breakfast sausage or vegan bacon. The vegan meat can be used to season the skillet for a deeper flavor experience, or the vegan meat can be left in the corn dish. Either way, it will be a deeeee-licious, down home side dish.
Instructions for boiling the ears of corn are included in the recipe below, but you can also look at my Kitchen Basics on Boiling or Roasting Corn for cooking options. You might want to roast the corn for a richer flavor, which takes about a half hour longer than boiling.
Once you have cooked the corn, cut the kernels off with a sharp knife, moving the knife along the sides of the corn cob, top to bottom. Even after cutting off the biggest part of the kernels, the bottoms will still be attached to the cob. Using the back of your knife blade, scrape down the sides of the corn cobs again, to remove the meat of the corn, also known as the “milk.” The milk adds some creaminess to the dish, along with more corn sweetness. Don’t let it go to waste!
If you want to use the vegan meat just to add flavor, but not leave it in the final dish, just cut the vegan meat pieces larger for sautéing. Once the vegan meat is browned somewhat and aromatic, you can remove it from the oil before you add the corn. You can even cook it a while in the corn, then remove it later. It’s up to you!
You might enjoy trying these other tasty southern vegetable dishes:
Southern Butter Bean Succotash
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 2 vegan breakfast sausages chopped, or slices of vegan bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 6 ears fresh corn
- 2-1/2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 clove garlic minced, or 1 teaspoon pre-minced
- 1 teaspoon any neutral oil such as grapeseed, sunflower, or canola
- 1-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme optional, or basil, orange or lemon zest
- pinch cayenne pepper optional, or paprika or smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
|
|
- Bring 8 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Carefully drop the ears of corn into the boiling water. Cook the corn in the uncovered pan for 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully remove the corn from the boiling water with kitchen tongs and let cool to the touch.
- On a plate or cutting board, cut the corn kernels off of the corn cobs. Using the back of your knife, then scrape the rest of the "milk" of the corn kernels from the corn cob, in with the rest of the cut kernels. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, add the chopped vegan sausages or cut up vegan bacon, along with the the oil. Sauté until the vegan meat begins to brown.
- (At this stage, remove the vegan meat, or let it cook in the corn a few minutes, then remove it, if you wish. If you have chopped the meat small, you can also leave it in and serve the dish with the vegan meat included.)
- Add 2-1/2 tablespoons of vegan butter to the skillet and add the corn, stirring. Add the garlic and thyme (or any herbs, spices, or zest you are using). Add salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the corn is tender and brighter yellow. Serve hot as a delicious southern side dish.
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