Corn pudding cornbread
Instructions:
- Grate the corn into a small bowl on the large holes of a grater, or cut the top half of the kernels off the cobs into a large bowl and then use the back of the knife or a spoon to scrape the remaining kernels and the milky corn liquid into the bowl. Run your hands down the cobs to squeeze out any remaining milk. You should have 1 cup of grated corn and liquid.
- Use the room temperature butter to generously grease the inside of a thin, light metal 8-inch square baking pan. (Skillets or heavy dark metal pans interfere with the baking magic that creates the silky custard interior.)
- Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until the whites and yolks are blended, then whisk in the melted butter. Whisk in the sugar, salt, milk, and vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Fold in the corn with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Slowly pour the cream into the center of the batter; do not stir. Bake until the cornbread is lightly browned on top, about 50 minutes. The bread will be set and firm around the edges, but a 2-inch circle in the center should quiver slightly when the pan is gently shaken, just like when baking other custards or a cheesecake. Serve warm. This does not reheat well.
- Tips and Techniques. It’s a good idea to let melted butter cool a little before adding it to a batter that contains eggs so that the heat will not curdle the eggs. However, don’t let it sit so long that it solidifies on top because it will no longer function properly in recipes that call for melted butter.