A Southern Grace: old favorite

October 17, 2017

old favorite

Yum

Red corn spoon bread. Are there foods you remember from childhood having loved but disappoint you now?


White bread sandwiches with American cheese and mayonnaise come to my mind first--what was I thinking!?! I also remember loving spoon bread, but I had never made it myself and hadn't tasted it in probably 20 years. My brother gave me a huge bag of cornmeal he had ground from his crop of red corn, and since I wanted to try it out in something other than cornbread, spoon bread popped into my brain from the deepest recesses. I had loved it then; would I love it now?


Yes! To me, it tastes like moist, buttery cornbread, so what's not to love? Plus, it's fun to watch it poof up in the oven and then deflate when you pull it out. While it requires doing something I'm normally too lazy to do (whipping egg whites), I can state that the end result is well worth it!

Wet Corn Bread
(printable recipe)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup stone-ground red cornmeal
  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; more for the baking dish and for serving
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a deep 1-quart baking or soufflé dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal and 1/2 cup of the milk.
In a medium saucepan, scald the remaining 1 cup milk.
Add the cornmeal mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, 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; stir in the salt, sugar, butter, and cheese.
In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form; set them aside.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
Gently fold in the egg whites.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake until the spoon bread is puffed, with a golden brown crust, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

14 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

It looks a bit like Dutch baby :-)) Red cornmeal is new to me.

Pam said...

My dad would make us butter & sugar sandwiches on white bread when I was a kid. I still can't believe it.

I've never had spoon bread but I am thinking I would love it.

Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen said...

My favorite sandwich as a kid was sprouts and mayonnaise on sourdough. I die thinking about that now. . .This bread looks fabulous though!

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

I like cornbread but I've never had spoon bread...I'm sure I would like it. It most have been really good with the fresh ground cornmeal.

Pam said...

Love cornbread and spoonbread. Yours looks delicious! I ate PB and Miracle Whips sandwiches when I was a kid. Take care

Agness of Run Agness Run said...

This bread seems so finger-licking, Grace. What kind of milk do you usually use?

grace said...

@Agness: Boring ol' 2%, though I believe any kind would work!

Gingi said...

Whoa, this looks yummy! Not sure I have EVER had this before tho... maybe that needs to change? ;-) - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

Cheri Savory Spoon said...

How cool that your brother grows and mills his own corn. Love cornbread, never heard of spoon bread, now I have to try it. Looks amazing!!!

Adina said...

I have never had this kind of spoon bread, but I think I would like it as well. The kids too.

Amy (Savory Moments) said...

How nice of your brother! I've never seen or eaten red corn meal! This spoon bread looks super.

Emma - Bake Then Eat said...

Spoon bread and red cornmeal is new to me, but by the looks of it I’d love them both.

Marcelle said...

I love spoon bread, but I haven't had it in ages. Now you've got me craving some!! Looks really good, Grace :)

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies said...

Completely intrigued by a wet cornbread! I've never ever heard of it. Regardless, I am definitely trying this soon! Also, checking into this red corn your brother grows!