Green Onion Spoonbread
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 231
- Total Fat
- 20
- Saturated Fat
- 11
- Carbohydrates
- 6
- Dietary Fiber
- 0
- Sugar
- 4
- Protein
- 8
- Cholesterol
- 137
- Sodium
- 385
- Total: 1 hr 20 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 55 min
Ingredients
1 cup, plus 3 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup whole milk, more if needed
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, green and white parts
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Add 3 tablespoons cornmeal to the dish and tilt the dish to coat the bottom and sides with the cornmeal. Set the baking dish aside.
- Combine the milk, cream, buttermilk, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan, and bring just to a boil. Whisk in the 1 cup cornmeal and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and has the consistency of grits, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl. Stir in the cheese, and set the bowl aside until the mixture is lukewarm, stirring often to prevent a skin from forming on the top, 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Then stir the yolks, green onions, thyme, baking soda, and baking powder into the cornmeal mixture.
- Combine the egg whites and the sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the cornmeal mixture to lighten it. Then gently fold in the remaining whites, taking care not to deflate the whites.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, and bake until the spoonbread is puffed and golden brown on top, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.