Dinner Party: Savory Corn Pudding

We love having friends over, enjoying drinks and dinner, as the kids dash in and out of the evening-- often in some sort of outrageous costume. No matter the size of the party, large or small, the days leading up to a dinner party are always enjoyable with menu planning, cooking and everyone in the house getting into the festive spirit. Last weekend we enjoyed having a great kick back opportunity to chat with both new and old friends during a dinner gathering at our home.

One of the dishes I created for the party was a savory corn pudding. The dish takes full advantage of our local markets' ready supply of year-round fresh corn and also caters to the season currently underway in many other parts of the world. So, for our wonderful dinner guests who enjoyed the corn pudding and requested the recipe-- this entry is for you!

Cooking in Thailand, entry no. 86

Savory Corn Pudding

Ingredients:

6 ears of fresh corn

1 cup of whole milk or cream

6 eggs, separated

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup of flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup of your favorite cheese

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into fine strips

1/4 cup of sugar (optional)

1 finely diced chili

Method:

Clean the corn and remove the husks and silks. Place into a large pot of boiling water and cook until done (approximately 10 minutes). Remove, cool and cut the corn off of the cob. Place into a blender or food processor* with the milk and puree until smooth. Add the egg yolks, butter, flour, salt and baking powder. Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in the cheese. I prefer not to use any sugar, but if the corn isn't very sweet you can add the sugar at this point. And, if using the chili peppers, add them at this time as well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the corn mixture taking care not to deflate the whites too much. Lightly grease a souffle dish or other deep baking dish with a bit of veggie oil or butter. Add the mixture to the dish and gently arrange the sliced red pepper on top. Place into an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until lightly golden on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cooking time will vary based on the depth of the dish used. But, plan for approximately 45 minutes. This dish can be made several hours in advance and reheated just before serving, if desired.

*If you don't have these appliances, you can proceed with this recipe by finely chopping the corn and placing it into a large bowl with the remaining ingredients as outlined in the recipe above. The texture will be different, but the flavor will be the same.