Rosie Makes A Corn Pudding.

 Here's a recipe you might want to save for Thanksgiving.  If not Thanksgiving Day itself (since a lot of stuff is already going on that day), then perhaps for the day after - when you have all those leftovers and you might want something a little different and you have the time to make the effort for another side dish.  It's a corn pudding, but it's made sort of like a soufflé.  Don't worry though.  It's not going to be fussy like a soufflé can be.  I consider it a type of hybrid - a light corn pudding with a hint of soufflé.  It’s good for a delicious side dish, or sprinkled with powdered sugar for a dessert, or served for breakfast with fruits.

I've made this corn dish several times.  I've made it for 3 servings, like this recipe, and I've doubled the recipe and made it for 6.  Works fine both ways.  Also, I've made it with canned corn and corn off the cob.  Gotta tell you - we liked it better with fresh corn.  It was, well... fresher tasting and it was creamier.  (And I’ve included the pics to show you the difference.)  If all you have is canned, don't let that stop you.  I have not tried it with frozen corn since I never have that on hand.  I prefer canned corn to frozen.  (But when it comes to peas, forget canned and go with frozen.)  However, if all you've got is frozen corn, thaw it out and pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

Corn Pudding

Makes 3 8-oz. ramekins

1/2 stick (4 TB) unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, plus more butter for the ramekins
1/4 cup + 1 TB sugar,  plus a little bit more for the ramekins
1 TB lemon zest
1/4 cup flour
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, separated, plus 2 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400°.
Generously butter the ramekins then sprinkle each with a teaspoon of sugar, turning to coat, and shaking out the excess.  Set ramekins on baking sheet.

In a small bowl mix 1 TB sugar with 1 tsp zest.

In a blender or processor, combine corn, cream, and salt, and purée until smooth, about 15 seconds.

In a medium saucepan, mix flour, 2 TB sugar, and puréed mixture.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat about 6 minutes until mixture forms a shiny ball.  Remove from heat and stir in butter, 1 TB at a time until fully incorporated.  Let cool to room temperature.  Then stir in yolk, remaining zest, and vanilla.

Beat egg whites on medium-high speed until light and foamy.  With beaters running, slowly add in remaining 2 TB sugar, whipping until soft peaks form.  Using a spatula, lightly stir in about 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the corn mixture until a few streaks remain.  Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to deflate.

Divide the mixture evenly among prepared ramekins.  Run a finger along the inside edge of each ramekin to create a better rise.  Sprinkle sugar and zest mixture over tops.  Bake 20-22 minutes until golden brown.  Dust with powdered sugar.

Rosie Note:  If using fresh corn, save those cobs!  We’re going to use them later for a corn chowder.

Now, for some step-by-steps:

 

Combine kernels, cream, and salt in processor.

And process away.

This first picture of the blend was from using canned corn.

This second picture of the blend is from using kernels right off the cob.

Notice how much smoother and creamier it is.

Both were processed the same amount of time.

Add the purée to the
flour and sugar
in the sauce pan.

This is canned corn.

This is the fresh corn purée.

Heat, stirring constantly.

You'll get a nice satiny ball.

Add in the butter a tablespoon at a time

Add in the yolk.

Zest and vanilla in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now start a-whuppin' the whites.

When they get light and foamy, slowly whip in the sugar.

You want soft peaks.

Stir in about 1/4 of the whites to lighten the mixture.

Then gently fold
in the rest.

Take care not to deflate.

 Spoon evenly into ramekins.

Run a finger along the outside.

Sprinkle the sugar/zest on top.

Ready for oven.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Rosie Makes Seared Scallops On Fried Grit Cakes.

 

Move Over Shrimp And Grits.

Make Room For Scallops And Grit Cakes.

 

 

  I started out thinking about making shrimp and grits – with succulent, fat, tender shrimp in a rich, savory, aromatic sauce served atop creamy, cheesy grits.  And thinking was as far as I got.  I decided to put my Rosie Spin on a classic Southern comfort dish and take a slight detour.  I ended up with soul-satisfying, seared scallops on crisp, fried, golden-brown grit cakes with caramelized bacon crowning the scallops along with a colorful side dish of sweet corn and peppers.

My little time-saving trick here was to make the grits and bacon for breakfast, so i get extra mileage here - two meals out of  the effort for one. 

For the grits:   I used Lakeside yellow grits and followed the directions on the package.  I stirred ½ cup grits into 2 cups boiling, salted water.  Let the water return to a boil, stirring, reduced the heat, covered the pan, and let cook for about 6 minutes, stirring every now and then.

 Depending on what type of grits you use, directions will vary.  Just be sure you pay attention at the beginning, whisking the grits to get the lumps out so that you end up with a smooth, creamy consistency.  I don’t recommend instant grits.  I’d go with stone-ground grits since they tend to have a deeper corn flavor and a coarser texture, allowing for a fried cake that holds its structure better.

After cooking the grits, I added 3 TB unsalted butter and a heaping cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Stir until melted.  Pour the grits into a buttered 7 x 11-inch pan, smoothing out to the edges.  Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting into squares and making the cakes. 

 

Grit Cakes

For the grit cakes, have a three-part station ready:

1)      1 cup of flour, mixed with a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2)      1 egg, beaten – enough for 6 grit cakes

3)      1 cup or more of panko bread crumbs

 You should be able to slice a dozen squares out of the sheet of grits.

I’m only using 6 now, saving the rest for later.

Take each grit square and dredge through flour.  Next cover the grit cake in the beaten egg.  Finally, coat the cake with the bread crumbs.

 Add about ¼” oil to your skillet and heat to 350° to 375°.  Place battered grit cakes in the hot oil, one at a time.  Fry about 3 minutes on the first side, until golden brown, turn over, and fry about 2 more minutes on the flip side.  Transfer to a rack and keep in a heated low oven.  Save remaining oil for the scallops.

Prepare bacon:

 6 strips bacon

2 TB brown sugar

1 TB maple syrup

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

 Start the bacon in a cold skillet.  Cook over medium-low heat.  Now, here’s a technique you might want to try when cooking bacon:  I like to add a little water to the skillet, just enough to cover the bacon.  The water helps the bacon cook evenly and gently so it retains its moisture, staying tender as the fat renders out.  The water will eventually steam off and the bacon will end up crisp and tender, not dry and brittle.

When the bacon’s almost done, add in the brown sugar, syrup, and peppers.  Finish cooking the bacon, remove from skillet, and let drain on a rack.  (Don’t drain on paper towels.  The bacon will stick.)  When cooled, crumble bacon to use on the scallops.

I saved some of the bacon grease to use for cooking the scallops.

Tilt pan to separate bacon grease from pepper flakes/brown sugar and reserve 3 TB grease for the scallops.

 

For a side dish, I like Yellow Corn and Sweet Pepper.

Scrape the corn off one cob and sprinkle a teaspoon or two of sugar over top.

Dice a small red pepper or you could use a combination of green, yellow, orange, and red peppers for a confetti-like effect.

Heat about 2 TB unsalted butter in a skillet over medium high heat and when it starts to sizzle, add in the sugared corn, shaking and stirring.  Cook for a few minutes until the corn browns a bit, then toss in the peppers and cook another minute to heat through.  Salt to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm.

 

For the scallops:

To prepare the scallops, remove that tough little muscle on the side.  Just pull it off with your fingers and toss it or, if you have a cat, give him/her a special treat.  Pat scallops dry with paper towels. 

Using a heavy duty skillet with the bacon grease and the extra oil leftover from the grit cakes, heat to 375°.

I like to lightly dust my scallops with corn starch sprinkled through a fine-mesh sieve, then add a few grinds of pepper.

Add a pat of butter to the hot oil/bacon grease and let it spit, sizzle, and melt.

Add in scallops, one at a time, without crowding, working in batches no more than 6 at a time. Cook 2 minutes on first side, then turn and cook 1 minute on the flip side.  Remove from pan and keep warm while you cook the rest of the scallops. 

 

To plate, place a grit cake or two on the serving dish, place scallops on top, then sprinkle the caramelized bacon bits over the scallops.  Serve with corn and peppers on the side.  I also like to garnish with a bit of greenery – chopped parsley and sliced scallions for extra flavor. 

 

 Here’s a Rosie Tip that will come in handy whenever you have scallions.  Slice off the green part of the stem to use for the edible enhancement, saving the roots and about an inch of the white part.  Place the root end in a small container of water.  The scallions will shoot up new growth and within a few days you’ll have an abundant supply of scallions to use.

 

 

 Also, to get those curlicues of scallions, slice thin strips lengthwise of the green part of the onion.  Place in ice water for about ten minutes and the strips will curl up.

                                             

Enjoy.

For the step-by-steps:

First, the grit cakes.

Pour buttery and cheesy grits into a buttered pan.

 

Smooth it out.

Let it set for several hours, then cut into squares.

 

 

 

 Seasoned flour, beaten egg, breadcrumbs.

I sifted the flour over the grit cakes.

Egg bath.

Dredge through crumbs.

If you do any frying, get you a thermometer.

Brown on each side.

 

Let drain and keep warm.

Next, the bacon.

Try the water technique.

 

Brown sugar, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and maple syrup.

Add it all in right at the end of frying the bacon.

Smells yummy.

Drain bacon.  Don't use paper towels.  It'll stick.

For the corn and pepper:

Sauté corn in butter.  Add a little sugar to caramelize.  Add in diced peppers at the end and just heat through.

 Season with salt and keep warm.

 

Last thing, the scallops.

Look for that tough little muscle on the side of the scallop and remove it.

Just pull it off.

Pat scallops dry with paper towels and roll around in some sifted corn starch.

A little oil, a little bacon grease, a little butter.

And fry.

Leave scallops alone, resisting any temptation to move around in the pan.  They'll release when they're ready.

Turn over after a couple minutes.

Brown the flip side.

Keep warm while you finish the rest of the scallops.

All my little goodies ready to plate.

Deconstructed elements, ready to construct!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Enjoy heartily!