Southern Corn Spoonbread
This Southern dish is a hybrid of cornbread and a corn soufflé. The addition of sweet and spicy peppers offers enhanced flavor and nutrition.
Makes
Serving size
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
¾ cup onion, diced
1 cup roasted red pepper, diced
⅓ cup jalapeño, diced
4 medium eggs, separated
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free if needed)
3 cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
Special Equipment:
3-inch deep, 1 ½ quart baking or soufflé dish
Electric hand or stand mixer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Oil a 3-inch deep 1 ½ quart baking/soufflé dish or a cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.
- Heat the oil in a separate, smaller skillet over medium heat.
- Season the oil with ground pepper and cumin and allow the spices to infuse flavor into the oil and release their aroma.
- Add the onion, red pepper and jalapeño. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Set aside.
- Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Whisk the cornmeal and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine 1 cup of the milk and add to the cornmeal and baking powder. Mix well.
- Scald the remaining 2 cups of milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the cornmeal mixture to the warm milk in the saucepan.
- Cook and whisk continually over medium-low heat, until the mixture thickens (you’ll begin to see the bottom of the pan as you whisk), about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, sugar, butter and sautéed vegetables.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
- Fold in the egg whites, carefully and gently.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish or skillet.
- Bake until the spoonbread is puffed, with a golden-brown crust, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- Serve with additional butter, like you would cornbread.
Cooking Tip
You will know the egg whites are the correct stiffness when you remove the beater or whisk from the bowl and peaks in the mixture maintain their shape.
Recipe Contributed by FamilyCook Productions
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