Millie Peartree's Southern Fried Corn

This NY Times recipe comes together lickety-split!

It's the perfect way to use our bacon ends.

And a great use for all of that sweet corn at the farmers' market.

Ingredients

• 6 fresh ears of corn
• 1 pack bacon ends, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
• 2 large scallions, thinly sliced

Steps

1. Slice off the kernels from each ear of corn (you should have about 4 cups). Then, with the flat edge of the knife or the edge of a small spoon, scrape each corn cob over a plate to collect the starchy “milk.” Discard the cobs.

2. Heat the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain any fat into a small heatproof bowl, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.

3. Add the butter to the skillet to melt. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.

4. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add corn kernels to the skillet, along with the reserved corn "milk", salt, paprika, pepper and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until corn is softened and lightly browned in spots, 5 to 7 minutes.

5. In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup water with the cornstarch; stir until well combined to create a slurry.

6. Add the slurry to the corn mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Stir in cooked bacon, red peppers and half the scallions to heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve topped with remaining scallions.