Southern Creamed Corn, Baked in the Oven, Summer in the South

Creamed Corn, Summer in the South

My grandmother made creamed corn in an iron skillet. She would start cooking it on top of the stove and then finish cooking it in the oven. Unfortunately, there is no exact recipe, because most old timey cooks didn't use one, but this is the way that I try to replicate her creamed corn, remembering that the corn has something to do with the flavor as much as my cooking does.

Like my mother and my grandmother, I use Silver Queen corn if I can find it. Back in my grandmother's day it was easy to find in a farmer's field or at the Farmers Market, but not so much these days. The flavor of the cooked corn will depend on how fresh it is and how much "milk" it has. It's difficult to find corn that is fresh from the field, which is the way it should be eaten.

So, what I do to get the maximum benefit of the corn is to cut the kernels off the cob. Then, I slide the back of my knife down the cob to get out the "milk".  I puree half the amount of corn I'm using in the food processor. If the corn is dry, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to the food processor as you are pulsing (this makes "corn milk"). Now, add the pureed corn back to the whole kernels.

Melt a spoonful of butter in an iron skillet set over medium high heat and add the corn, stirring and sautéing for several minutes. Add enough half and half to make it the consistency of a thick, creamy soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook on the stove top until the added half and half is hot.

Place the iron skillet into a preheated, 350 degree oven. Check the corn after 15 minutes, stirring to make sure that it isn't too dry. Add more half and half if needed, and continue to bake until the corn is tender and creamy. Remove the corn from the oven and add more butter, salt and pepper to taste. Again, cooking time depends on the freshness and tenderness of the corn you started with.

If you want to make it even more delicious, add strips of uncooked bacon to the top before you put it in the oven. Oh my Gracious almighty, is that good.