Turning Corn To Summer Gold

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Corn Pudding: The Evolution of a Recipe

I am often asked how I think up all the recipes I have offered over the years. Usually, the inspiration is whatever fresh produce and herbs look the best in the garden or the market. Sometimes a new ingredient or sauce comes my way, sparking new ideas. Other times, I simply give an old recipe a new twist–or two or three.

To show you how a recipe can progress, here is a series that evolved over several weeks. It all started with a terrific southern style Corn Pudding as made by my dear friend Roger Day. Rich, creamy, and rather sweet, it makes a luscious side dish for roasted chicken or pork. It’s perfect holiday food, delicious whether served warm or cold, and it might even taste best at room temperature.

Roger’s Corn Pudding

2 tablespoons butter
1 16-ounce can creamed corn
1 16-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half or cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a baking dish (I used an 8×8 square), set aside. In a bowl, combine creamed corn, drained corn, eggs, milk, sugar, flour, and salt and stir to blend. Pour into baking dish, dot with remaining butter and bake at 350 until golden (50-60 minutes). Serves 4-6.

Let’s Lighten It Up A Little

I loved the flavor and texture of Roger’s dish but wanted a lighter version as well. Thus, my first renovation, Savory Corn Pudding, features lots of shredded fresh basil, along with a dash of Worcestershire, and black pepper. The changes emphasized the flavor of the whole corn kernels and gave the dish a pleasing depth.

Savory Corn Pudding

1 16-ounce can creamed corn
2 cups whole kernel corn, thawed or drained
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup basil, stemmed and shredded
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine creamed corn, whole corn, milk, eggs, basil, flour, and Worcestershire sauce, and pepper and stir to blend. Pour into baking dish (I used an 8×8 square) and bake at 350 until golden (50-60 minutes). Serves 4-6.

Lighter Still

To create an entree dish that takes advantage of fresh summer corn and didn’t use canned creamed corn (not a staple in my pantry), I poured another modified version over leftover cooked chicken and Chicken Corn Pudding was born. Green chilies, cilantro and chipotle tabasco sauce lend this version a Tex-Mex flavor without overwhelming the natural corn sweetness.

Chicken Corn Pudding

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups cooked chicken, in bite-sized pieces
3 cups whole kernel corn (cut off cob)
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cilantro, stemmed
1 mild green chile, finely chopped
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
few drops chipotle tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub a baking dish (I used an 8×8 square) with olive oil, layer on chicken, set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine half the corn with the milk and process to a coarse puree. In a bowl, combine pureed corn, whole corn, eggs, cilantro, 1/4 cup green chiles, flour, salt, and tabasco and stir to blend. Pour over chicken in baking dish and bake at 350 until golden (50-60 minutes). Serves 4-6.

Succulent and Slightly Sweet

Finally, a delicious and subtly sweet Shrimp Corn Pudding adds cooked shrimp, garlic, and green onions to the batter.  All of these dishes can be served hot, warm, or cold, making them great choices for a brunch, a potluck, or anytime when you prefer not to fuss over the food.

Shrimp Corn Pudding

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups cooked, cleaned shrimp
3 cups whole kernel corn (cut from cob)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub a baking dish (I used an 8×8 square) with olive oil, layer on shrimp, set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine half the corn with the yogurt and process to a coarse puree. In a bowl, combine pureed corn, whole corn, eggs, garlic, red onion, flour, salt and pepper and stir to blend. Pour over shrimp in baking dish and bake at 350 until golden (50-60 minutes). Serves 4-6.

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