WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Spoonbread is a Southern specialty made from a combination of fresh corn and cornmeal, with a texture somewhere on the line between a rich cornbread and a true soufflé. We wanted a fluffy, soufflé-style sweet corn spoonbread with deep corn flavor, one that was light and soft, so we focused first on corn flavor, then on texture. Sautéing the corn in butter, before steeping it in milk and pureeing it, ensured that the sweet corn flavor permeated our spoonbread. To make sure the cornmeal didn’t impart a gritty texture, we soaked it in the milk beforehand to soften it. And to guarantee a stable egg foam and an impressive rise, we beat the egg whites with a bit of cream of tartar. You can substitute frozen corn, thawed and patted dry, for fresh.
SERVES: 6
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2¾ cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 large eggs, separated
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 1½-quart soufflé dish or 8-inch baking dish. Whisk cornmeal and ¾ cup milk together in bowl; set aside.
- Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add corn and cook until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in sugar, salt, cayenne, and remaining 2 cups milk and bring to boil. Cover pot and let sit, off heat, for 15 minutes.
- Transfer warm corn mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Return to now-empty pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, add cornmeal mixture, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Once mixture is cool, whisk in egg yolks until combined.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk one-third of whites into cooled corn mixture, then gently fold in remaining whites until combined. Scrape batter into prepared dish and transfer to oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until spoonbread is golden brown and has risen above rim of dish, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
