The Cornbread Gospels (33 page)

S
ERVES
4
AS AN ENTRÉE,
6
TO
8
AS A SIDE DISH

This spoonbread’s got three eggs rather than the usual four, and water replaces part of the milk. But plenty of butter and the stone-ground grainy goodness shine through, making it exceptional. And it’s still fancier than regular cornbread; a company’s-coming dish, as are all spoonbreads.

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1 cup sifted stone-ground white cornmeal

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

1 cup boiling water

3 eggs, separated

1½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1¾ cups milk

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a deep 1½- to 2-quart baking dish with oil.

2.
Place the cornmeal and butter in a heatproof bowl and gradually pour the boiling water over it with one hand, whisking, then stirring, with the other, to create a very, very
thick paste-like mixture. Set aside.

3.
Beat together the egg yolks, salt, baking powder, and milk in a separate bowl. Add the liquid mixture gradually to the cornmeal mixture, working it in first with a spoon, then a whisk, until it is smooth.

4.
Place the egg whites in a large, high-sided, non-plastic bowl. Beat them until stiff and glossy (see Beating Egg Whites,
pages 186
–
187
). Gently fold them into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared dish.

5.
Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out barely clean and the top is deeply golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve at once, straight from the dish and hot from the oven.

S
ERVES
4
AS AN ENTRÉE,
6
AS A SIDE DISH

This is one of my all-time favorite spoonbreads. It has an especially tender interior with a nice, even consistency, and a beautifully crusty top. It has an extra depth of flavor, perhaps because it uses all buttermilk and white cornmeal. Because it contains only two eggs and a tablespoon of butter, it is also a relatively low-fat spoonbread.

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 cups stone-ground white cornmeal

1½ teaspoons salt

2 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups buttermilk

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with oil and set aside.

2.
Sift the cornmeal and salt into a large heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water and melted butter over the cornmeal and salt, stirring it in to make a thick, smooth, porridge-like mixture. Let cool to lukewarm, 15 to 20 minutes. Then beat in the egg yolks, incorporating them thoroughly.

3.
Combine the baking soda and buttermilk in a small bowl or large measuring cup, stirring to dissolve the soda (it will bubble). Gradually stir this into the cornmeal mixture, beating until smooth. (You will think it is too liquid at this point. It’s not.)

4.
Place the egg whites in a large, high-sided, non-plastic bowl and beat them until stiff and glossy (see Beating Egg Whites,
pages 186
–
187
). Gently fold them all at once (instead of in two batches) into the batter, a bit of a challenge because the batter is fairly liquid. Pour the batter into the prepared dish.

5.
Bake until proudly puffed and deeply golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

S
ERVES
4
AS AN ENTRÉE,
6
AS A SIDE DISH

Three eggs, heavy cream, butter—this is a definite fat-of-the-land spoonbread, for state occasions. It uses ingredients similar to those in a recipe by Bill Neal, which appears in his
Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie
, one of the great canonical texts of Southern cooking.

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

¼ cup extra-coarse stone-ground yellow cornmeal (grits)

1 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, separated

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

Extra butter, for serving

1.
Spray a medium-large, heavy pot with oil, add 1 cup water, and bring to a boil. As you
are waiting for it to boil, combine the two cornmeals in a large bowl and stir in 1½ cups water. Add the moistened cornmeals to the boiling water with the salt, stirring in very slowly and carefully. Bring the whole thing back to a boil, then lower the heat almost as far as it will go. Cook the mixture very, very slowly, stirring often, until it’s good and thick and smooth, about 30 minutes. About halfway into the cooking period, preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Remove the cooked meal from the heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks in a small bowl with a fork, setting the whites aside in a larger, high-sided, non-plastic bowl for later whipping.

3.
When the corn mixture has cooled, beat in the butter, cream, and egg yolks. Spray an 8-inch square pan with oil and set aside. Then, using clean beaters, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form (see Beating Egg Whites,
pages 186
–
187
). Fold them gently into the corn-cream mixture.

4.
Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately—of course, with extra butter.

S
ERVES
4
AS AN ENTRÉE,
6
TO
8
AS A SIDE DISH

Somewhere between soufflé and fresh corn pudding, this incorporates fresh corn cut off the cob. It’s ideal toward summer’s end, when there’s just a bit of cool in the air but the gardens are still producing and the roadside stands and farmers’ markets are still abundant with produce. This is an excellent spoonbread to choose as the centerpiece for a vegetable dinner. Start with a bright green salad (prepare and eat it as the spoonbread bakes), then follow with the spoonbread, serving it hot from the oven with sliced fresh tomatoes and a scallion or two to nibble on. Dessert: height-of-the-season ripe cantaloupe or sliced fresh dead-ripe peaches with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Vegetable oil cooking spray

3½ cups milk

⅔ cup sifted stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons butter

1½ teaspoons salt

½ cup buttermilk

3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 ears of corn; see Shuck and Jive,
page 49
)

4 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a deep 1½- to 2-quart baking dish with oil.

2.
Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan, preferably nonstick. Gradually pour in the cornmeal with one hand, whisking with the other, creating a very thick mixture. Lower the heat and add the honey, butter, and salt. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes.

3.
Remove the cooked mush from the stove and transfer it into a medium-size, heat-proof bowl.

4.
Place the buttermilk in a food processor with the fresh corn. Pulse-chop to cut the corn into fine pieces, but don’t purée it. Stir the corn mixture into the cornmeal mush, which will bring the temperature down to the requisite lukewarm.

5.
Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large, high-sided, non-plastic bowl; set the whites aside. Beat the yolks vigorously with a fork, then beat in the baking powder and baking soda. Mix the yolks into the mush, making sure they are thoroughly and evenly incorporated.

6.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and glossy (see Beating Egg Whites,
pages 186
–
187
). Gently fold them into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared dish.

7.
Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out barely clean and the top is deeply golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve at once, hot from the oven and straight from the dish.