Meme always had a tin of bacon drippings adjacent to the stovetop, a sight less and less common in Southern kitchens. It varies from brand to brand, but it takes four to six slices of bacon to produce about two tablespoons of grease. The salty, smoky taste of the bacon complements the sweetness of the corn, which, in a fit of glorious, wretched excess, is finished with a hefty hand of butter.

Ingredients

　　1 tablespoon bacon fat or canola oil

　　Scraped kernels from 6 ears fresh sweet corn (about 3 cups) (see page 188)

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

　　In a large skillet, heat the bacon fat over medium heat until sizzling. Add the corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the butter and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.