Chadwick Boyd’s Cast Iron Skillet Corn is an easy Southern tradition
About the recipe
Skillet corn is a Southern tradition made even better by cooking it in a cast-iron pan. I love how a hot skillet chars and toasts the corn in just a few minutes, which is the secret to this very simple dish.
Skillet corn is an easy way to wow dinner guests or yourself, especially when fresh corn is in season. But you can eat this year-round by using thawed, frozen corn.
The most fun thing about this dish is that you'll know when it’s ready when it starts to “pop” in the pan — just like popcorn. If you want to lighten this up, omit the cream. The corn is delicious in its own natural way.
Pro Tip: Use a ring-shaped cake pan when cutting the corn off the cob. Stand the ear of corn up on the center hole of the pan and slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp chef’s knife. The cake pan will catch the falling corn pieces and make clean up a snap.
Gussy it Up: Cook a couple of extra-thick bacon strips in the cast iron skillet first, and then cook the corn in a bit of the leftover bacon grease. Crumble the bacon on top before serving.
Serving Tip: I like to serve this directly from the skillet; it keeps the corn warm at the table.
This recipe, created by Chadwick Boyd, is from "Entertaining With Vegetables," copyright © 2017 Lovely & Delicious Enterprises, Inc.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons salted butter
4 to 6 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob, or 3 to 4 cups frozen and thawed corn
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat until it’s good and hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt and bubble. When the butter is foamy, add the corn and let it toast, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the kernels start to turn slightly brown and start to pop, 7 to 8 minutes.
Add the red pepper and continue to cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and heat through for another minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in the basil, and serve immediately.