A Plate Full

Fresh corn pudding has been around for a long time.  There are a thousand different versions, with each cook putting their own spin and regional favorite ingredients into the mix. I’m a big fan of the time-tested, true blue, corn on the cob boiled with butter and salt. Recently I’ve been a big fan of the many grilled versions, my current fav is lime butter and cotija cheese. Even done on a gas grill it’s incredible. Waiting patiently for the season’s crop to ripen, then abandoning yourself to the pure sensory pleasure of eating with your hands, juice running down your arm and a big shiny, butter grin from ear to ear. (ha, get it..ear to ear? Sometimes I crack me up) But….there are other ways to eat corn as we all know.  If I start listing them I’ll sound like Bubba Gump reciting all the ways you can eat shrimp, so I’ll refrain. This corn pudding is a much easier, rather more elegant, way of having your summer corn. While I wasn’t able to grill mine for this recipe (my stupid gas tank thing is empty, grrr) I would wholeheartedly suggest you do so. Fresh corn in a creamy, silky custard, that is just as delightful cold as it is warm. It would be a perfect addition to any meal where you don’t want to deal with corn on the cob (I know, almost unthinkable) or just want a different alternative. I think this would be a spectacular foil to bar-b-que or to a beautiful steak with chimichurri sauce. I know lots of folks do a corn pudding at Thanksgiving, and please, don’t stop that, but I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that it shines just as well with the bright summer sun.

The next time you’re grilling some corn, make a few extra ears, when it cools, cut it off the cob, put it in a ziplock, and you can use it a few days later. Or if you don’t want to grill it, just cut it off the cob and saute in a small bit of butter until tender crisp. I don’t remember who gave me this recipe, but I found it scribbled on the back of an envelope in my recipe book. Knowing me, I had it at someone’s house (it looks like years ago) and asked for the recipe and wrote it on whatever I could find.

Fresh Corn Pudding

2-1/2 c. fresh corn kernels (about 4 large ears)
4 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. of pepper
1/4 tsp. of nutmeg (freshly grated if you have it)
2 tbsp. melted butter
1-3/4 c. of half n half

Beat the eggs in bowl, add the corn, flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and nutmeg and mix to combine. Add the butter and the milk. Bake in a baking pan or casserole dish set in a water bath ( place dish in a larger baking pan, fill with water till half way up the dish) in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour, or until set and no longer jiggly. This doesn’t brown all that much on the top, so don’t worry about that. You can also check with a toothpick, it should come out cleanly from the center.

For a brown and bubbly top, you could sprinkle some cheese over the top in the last 20 minutes or so. You can also add anything your heart desires, chilis (would be awesome), cheese, green & red peppers, bacon (there’s that Bubba Gump list again!).