DECEMBER 2013
SUNRAYS | 47
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SCTXCA.ORG
Southern Fried Corn
Submitted by Rae Gill, of the African-American
Interest Group
African-American cuisine is often referred to as
“Soul Food.” Fried corn is a traditional soul food
dish served during the holiday season―the secret
is in the preparation, which involves cutting the
corn off the cob in two steps.
6 ears of corn
¼ cup of bacon grease
1 tablespoon of butter
¼ cup of chopped sweet onions
2 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
*Optional for color contrast: ¼ cup of diced green
and/or red bell peppers cooked along with the
onion.
1. After you shuck the corn and remove the
silk, work with each corn cob by standing it
up in a shallow bowl or pan.
2. Run the pointed end of a sharp knife verti-
cally through the kernels from the top of the
corn cob to the bottom, slicing each column
of kernels in half. This can be messy, so you
may want to work with the bowl in the sink.
3. After you slice all of the kernels, cut them
off the cob into the bowl. Then with your
knife, vigorously scrape the cob on all sides
to get as much of the milky starch into the
bowl as possible (this is called “milking the
corn” and it gives fried corn its unique tex-
ture and flavor).
4. Add the flour and sugar to the corn.
5. Prepare your frying pan (cast iron is best)
by pre-heating it over medium heat and then
adding the bacon grease and the butter.
6. Add the onions (and optional peppers) and
cook them until they are translucent.
7. Add the corn mixture. Stir the dish periodi-
cally, while you let it simmer with the pan
covered until the kernels are tender (about
20 minutes).
8. As you stir, fold in the browned mixture that
forms on the bottom of the pan. Add hot water
if necessary if the mixture seems too dry.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
Yield: 4 servings
Shortbread
Submitted by Edna Heard, of the Brits Interest Group
From the United Kingdom we have Shortbread, a delicious cookie,
which goes well with tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
1 stick of butter
4 tablespoons of superfine sugar, plus extra to finish
3/4 cup of plain flour
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth.
3. Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Turn onto a work surface
and gently roll out until the paste is 1/2-inch thick.
4. Cut into rounds or fingers and place onto a baking sheet. Sprin-
kle with sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden
brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Yield: 20-24 cookies
