Brown butter in screaming cast iron, pour spiced corn batter straight in, watch the crust blacken
Ingredients
Ingredients
- For the Corn Pudding:
- 2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 Tablespoon dried green chile flakes
- 4 large eggs
- 1-1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co® Ace Kickstart®
- 3-1/2 cups sweet corn kernels, divided: 2 cups for creaming and 1-1/2 cups for whole kernel
- 3 cups grated cheese, divided: 2 cups for mixing and 1 cup for topping
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided: 1 cup each for creaming and topping
Method
-
01
Preheat oven to 375°F with skillet inside
15 minCast-iron skillet preheats on center rack while preparing batter.
-
02
Gather and measure all ingredients
8 minGrate cheeses, measure cornmeal, flour, and corn kernels.
-
03
Blend eggs, sour cream, cornmeal, flour, agave, baking powder, Ace Kickstart, 1 cup cheese, and 2 cups corn
3 minProcess until smooth, about 30 seconds.
-
04
Transfer to bowl and stir in 1 cup cheese and 1.5 cups corn kernels
2 minFold the corn and cheese in gently so you don't deflate the batter — you're looking for an even distribution without overworking it.
-
05
Remove hot skillet, brown butter, add chile flakes and pour batter
3 minWork quickly with hot skillet; swirl to brown butter before adding batter.
-
06
Top with jalapeño and remaining cheese
1 minScatter the jalapeño slices and remaining cheese across the top so they get some direct heat and char up alongside the pudding.
-
07
Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes until set
45 minCook until edges browned and center reaches 165°F.
-
08
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving
10 minThis rest lets the residual heat set the center and lets those flavors meld together — you'll get a better bite when you scoop it.
From Mike's Notebook
Brown the butter until it smells nutty, then add chile flakes immediately — the heat toasts them before they burn.
Blend smooth first, then fold in the second batch of cheese and corn by hand — keeps kernels intact instead of breaking them down.
The blackened crust forms only if your skillet stays hot; preheating it empty for 10 minutes matters more than you'd think.