Tender Corn Pudding
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Three 10-ounce packages frozen corn kernels
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups milk
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Instructions:
Dried corn played a large part in the Pilgrim (and Indian) diet. They would probably appreciate that this comforting dish is made with frozen corn, our modern method of food preservation. This is a mildly seasoned version, but it is easy to add Southwestern flavors to make a spicy variation.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10 × 15-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the bell pepper softens, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a blender, process 3 cups of the corn with the heavy cream until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining 3 cups corn, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper, and whisk well to combine the milk and eggs. Stir in the vegetables. Transfer to the prepared dish.
- Place the dish in a large roasting pan on the oven rack. Pour in enough nearly boiling water to come ½ inch up the outside of the baking dish. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove the dish from the roasting pan and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.