Cornspoon Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 ears (1 1/2 cups) fresh corn, scraped
• 3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions:

Butter bottom and sides of a 1 1/2-quart ovenproof souffle or deep casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter, then dust lightly with bread crumbs. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the corn, cornmeal, salt and pepper, stirring constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. In a small skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add green onion and saute just until softened for 5 minutes. Add the onion and butter to the cornmeal mixture. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg yolks until light. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the hot cornmeal mixture into the yolks, then stir the yolk mixture into the remaining cornmeal mixture until well combined.

Heat your oven to 325°, then in a medium-sized bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Stir a large spoonful of egg whites into the cornmeal mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites to the cornmeal. Pour the spoon-bread mixture into the prepared dish. Place the dish inside a larger pan and add hot water 1-inch deep up the side of the dish. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until it tests clean. Serve immediately.