Corn & Mushroom Sauté with Leeks & Pancetta

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  2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


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  1-1/2 oz. thinly sliced pancetta (4 to 5 slices)
  
  


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  3 Tbs. unsalted butter
  
  


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  1 cup small-diced leeks (white and light-green parts only, from 1 large leek)
  
  


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  1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
  
  


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  2 generous cups medium-diced cremini mushrooms (about 6 oz.)
  
  


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  2 slightly heaping cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 medium ears)
  
  


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  2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
  


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  1 to 2 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh thyme or oregano
  
  


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  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  One-quarter lemon
  
  


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  3 Tbs. heavy cream
  
  

Heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until light golden and crisp, 5 to 7 min. Transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan.

Increase the heat to medium and carefully add 1 Tbs. of the butter to the fat. When melted, add the leeks and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the pancetta, until the leeks are softened and slightly shrunken, 3 to 5 min. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 1 to 2 min.

Add another 1 Tbs. of the butter, the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, the mushrooms, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened and a little shrunken (they will have given off a good bit of liquid), 3 to 4 min. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly browned, 2 to 3 min. (the bottom of the pan will be quite brown).

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the corn. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the corn is tender but still slightly toothy to the bite, 3 to 4 min. (It will begin to intensify in color, glisten, and be somewhat shrunken in size, and the bottom of the pan will be brown.)

Remove the pan from the heat, add the fresh herbs, a few generous grinds of pepper, and a good squeeze of the lemon. Stir in the heavy cream. Let sit a minute or two and stir again, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (moisture released from the vegetables as they sit will loosen the bits). Season to taste with more salt, pepper, or lemon. Crumble the reserved pancetta over top and serve warm.