Sunday, July 31, 2011

Corn pudding


I first tasted corn pudding two years ago at Redbones, a popular barbeque restaurant in Davis Square. I'm actually not a huge fan of barbeque, so I was focusing on appetizers and sides for my dinner. I'm not exactly sure what made me order the corn pudding - I don't much like bread or rice pudding and tend to steer clear of the word "pudding" on a dinner menu - but I'm glad I did. I loved the savory custard filled with corn kernels, and I couldn't wait to try making it on my own. But two years later, I still hadn't done it, in spite of having bookmarked multiple recipes. I hadn't even eaten corn pudding again since that first time.

Today I finally changed that. Ever since corn appeared at the farmers' market last week, I've been daydreaming about ways to enjoy it, and corn pudding was at the top of the list. I decided to try the recipe in Deborah Madison's cookbook Local Flavors. It's packed full of fresh corn kernels, with some cheese and herbs, and a sprinkling of hot smoked paprika on top. It perfectly showcases the amazing corn that's available right now - complementing the sweet corn flavor without hiding it at all. Hopefully now I won't go two years without eating corn pudding again!

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Corn pudding
Adapted from Local Flavors
Serves 4-6

1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
6 large ears of sweet corn
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cream or whole milk
1 cup coarsely grated cheese (Madison suggests aged cheddar, goat cheese, or smoked Gouda - I used an aged sharp cheddar)
2 tbs chopped parsley (or more if you like)
1 tbs chopped basil (or more if you like)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Lightly butter a 6-cup gratin dish. Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

While onion is cooking, shuck corn and remove the silk. With a sharp knife, slice off the top half of the cork kernels into a large bowl or pan. Flip the knife over and use the dull side to scrape out the remaining corn and juices into the bowl. Add the cooked onions, eggs, cream/milk, cheese, and herbs to the bowl. Add 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. Pour mixture into the gratin dish and sprinkle smoked paprika over the top. Bake in the center of the oven until puffed, golden, and no longer runny, about 50 minutes. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

4 comments:

  1. This sounds delicious. I don't remember ever eating corn pudding either - but I may need to!

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  2. I have the Garmin 405, which I LOVE. Not everyone loves the touch screen bezel, but I like it better than the 305 which is basically a brick. There is a newer model, but I don't know much about it...

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  3. that sounds and looks delicious! I'm tempted to try a vegan version. Ever come across any such recipes?

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  4. Hi Andrea - I'm not an expert on vegan substitutions, but I bet some pureed corn would do pretty well in place of some of the cream/milk. I'm sure a good vegan custard recipe could be used as a guideline for modifying this one. Let me know if you try it!

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