Summer Corn Pudding

Most recipes for corn pudding get published in the fall, evoking images of the Indians and the Pilgrims gathered around the Thanksgiving table. These recipes are a great reason to use the leftover corn you had put in the freezer in July and then forgot you had until you found it while cleaning out the freezer in November.

Here’s what I say – forget the frozen corn. Make the corn pudding in July using sweet corn fresh off the ear. And don’t waste the recipe on leftover corn – buy the corn special just for this recipe. It’s worth it. Serve it with reheated ribs and barbecue sauce that you had found in the freezer. Add green beans, and if the weather is right, it can become your first rooftop dinner of the season.

Oh and did I mention I didn’t actually make this? Mr TBTAM did! But I helped reheat the ribs and set the table.

Corn Pudding
(Modified from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood, in Epicurious)

If you make this, I recommend cutting the peppers in a large dice rather than strips above, because the strips make it hard to cut the pudding onto squares, which is why it sort of just looks like a delciious clump on the plate…

2 pounds fresh corn kernels
Whole milk as needed (up to a cup)
6 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (substitute corn flour for a gluten free option)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
cayenne pepper to taste (about a pinch or more to taste)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
Half of a red bell pepper, cut into strips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter or oil. Puree the corn in the food processor with just enough milk to make a smooth puree (we used a little over a half cup). With the machine running, add egg yolks, one at a time, and process 30 seconds after each addition. Keeping machin running, add the sugar a little at a time and process until mixture is lighter in color and sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add butter and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder; fold into corn mixture. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into corn mixture, alternating with the shredded cheese. Pour into baking dish and top with strips of chile and red bell pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

An Even Easier and Less Fattening Corn Pudding

We got the whole idea of making corn pudding from my mother in law Irene, who made this much simpler and just as delicious recipe, also from Epicurious. I’m making Irene’s version next time – it’s also less calories..