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Cheesy Spoonbread

Source of Recipe

From "Real Cajun" by Donald Link


Recipe Introduction

"Although spoonbread is a Southern staple, I did not discover it personally until later in life. What a shame — once I tasted the warm, light, and creamy dish I fell in love with it. I've heard some people refer to spoonbread as a cornbread soufflé, which is a pretty fair description. Cornbread generally makes for a good side because it absorbs the juice of what it's served with. Spoonbread does that as well, but it can be pretty luxurious on its own. At Cochon, we serve this spoonbread alongside Okra and Tomatoes, but it is a really versatile side dish. It goes well with everything from roasted chicken and black-eyed peas to sautéed shrimp dishes. One really great way to serve this spoonbread is to let it cool, cut it into squares, then sauté the squares in butter until crisp. But that takes time and patience, which is why most people just grab a spoon and dig in."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 ½ cups milk
â—¦ 1 cup white cornmeal
â—¦ Butter for greasing, plus 1 tablespoon
â—¦ 3 eggs, separated
â—¦ 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
â—¦ 1 cup chopped scallions
â—¦ 2 teaspoons salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Butter an 8 x 12-inch baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium-high heat, then whisk in the cornmeal and the tablespoon of butter, and stir until smooth. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl, then temper them by stirring a small amount of the hot cornmeal mixture into the eggs, and then stirring that mixture back into the pot. Stir in the cheese, scallions, salt, pepper, and cayenne until well combined, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand), beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, and then fold them into the cornmeal mixture.

Pour the spoonbread into the prepared pan and bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until the spoonbread mixture is set. (To test for doneness, insert a toothpick or chopstick into the center of the spoonbread; if it comes out mostly clean, it's done. If there is wet batter clinging to the toothpick, bake the dish another 5 to 10 minutes.)

Serves 4 to 6