Sweet Corn Spoonbread
Soft, fluffly, and deliciously beautiful, this spoonbread is a incredible as a side for a fall meal.
Servings servings
Equipment
- souffle dish optional
- individual ramekins optional, see notes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 ¾ cups milk whole, divided
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed and patted dry
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 eggs, large separated
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Optional Add-ins for Savory Version
- 2 tablespoons chives chopped
- ¼ cup grated cheese, such as Parmesan, Pecorino, or Gruyere
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400℉. Grease 1 ½-quart soufflé dish or 8-inch-square baking dish. Whisk cornmeal and ¾ cup milk in bowl until combined; set aside.
- Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook corn until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining milk, sugar, salt, and cayenne and bring to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let mixture steep 15 minutes.
- Transfer warm corn mixture to blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return corn mixture to pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and add cornmeal mixture, whisking constantly, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to large bowl and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Once mixture is cool, whisk in egg yolks until combined.
- With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Whisk one-third of whites into corn mixture, then gently fold in remaining whites until combined. Scrape mixture into prepared dish and transfer to oven.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350℉ and bake until spoonbread is golden brown and risen above rim of dish, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Individual Spoonbreads: To make individual spoonbreads, prepare recipe as directed and divide batter among 6 greased 7-ounce ramekins. Arrange ramekins on rimmed baking sheet and bake as directed, reducing cooking time to 30 to 35 minutes.
- Store leftover spoonbread in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- The plain spoon bread isn't overly sweet, so it's great spooned onto plates to marry with gravy and stuffing, but my favorite way to eat it is with a drizzle of honey (or even better, honey butter.) There's something about that soft, puffy texture with the combination of sweet, sticky honey, that just tastes dreamy.
- If you want to try it savory, I add 2 tablespoons chopped chives and 1/4 cup finely grated cheese like Parmesan, Pecorino, Gruyere, etc. to the mixture right before you add the egg whites. I usually sprinkle a few extra chives and cheese on top right before baking. The texture is fantastic and the flavors of the chives and cheese blend perfectly.
Nutrition
Calories: 192kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 402mg, Potassium: 233mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 304IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 192kcal
Cost: $5
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