Etta's Cornbread Pudding (Tom Douglas)
Yum, yum, double yum. Think of a savory quiche with a cornbread base, caramelized onions and Jack cheese. This has become one of our favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas side dishes.
This year I have modified it. Changed the cheese to Gruyere and added more carmelized onions. The result is nuttier, more complex pudding.
---Barbara
Etta's Cornbread Pudding
(Tom Douglas's Seattle Kitchen cookbook)
Makes 6 Servings
1 T. butter plus a little more for buttering the pan
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup grated Gruyere
2 t. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 t. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 t. kosher salt (or 1/2 t. regular salt)
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 2/3 cups 1-inch cubed cornbread (see recipe below)
First, make the cornbread. let it cool, cut into 1 inch cubes. Keep 2 2/3 cups for this recipe and freeze the rest for future use.
To make the pudding, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or lower the oven if you have just made the cornbread).
Butter your baking pan, then put the cubed cornbread on the bottom. Set aside.
Heat 1 T. of butter in a saute pan over low heat and cook the onions very slowly until soft and golden brown, at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Now I let the onions caramelize for almost an hour on the lowest setting on the stove, until they are deep golden brown.
Prepare the herbs --- measuring and chopping them --- measure out the milk and collect the needed eggs.
Scatter the onions, cheese, and herbs over the cornbread cubes.
Whisk together the heavy cream and eggs with the salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and pour over the cornbread cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes so the cornbread absorbs some of the custard.
Bake until set and golden, about 40 minutes. Serve hot.
Can be made and baked a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat the cornbread pudding, covered with aluminum foil, in a preheated 375 degrees oven until warmed through, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cornbread
(from Tom Douglas's Seattle Kitchen cookbook)
Makes an 8-in square pan of cornbread
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup grated pepper Jack cheese or Gruyere
red pepper flakes (optional, my addition)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 T. honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
plus a little more for buttering the pan
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
Combine flour, cornmeal, cheese, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the red pepper flakes, or skip this step if you don't want any heat.
Melt the butter and let it cool. (I used the microwave for this. About 20 seconds.)
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and honey.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
Add the melted butter and stir into the mixture.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. (Mine was done at 15.)
When cool enough to handle, invert onto a cutting board and cut into 1 inch cubes. There will be about 8 cups. Reserve 2 2/3 cups for the pudding and freeze the rest for future use.
B
---Barbara
Etta's Cornbread Pudding
(Tom Douglas's Seattle Kitchen cookbook)
Makes 6 Servings
1 T. butter plus a little more for buttering the pan
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup grated Gruyere
2 t. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 t. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 t. kosher salt (or 1/2 t. regular salt)
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 2/3 cups 1-inch cubed cornbread (see recipe below)
First, make the cornbread. let it cool, cut into 1 inch cubes. Keep 2 2/3 cups for this recipe and freeze the rest for future use.
To make the pudding, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or lower the oven if you have just made the cornbread).
Prepare the herbs --- measuring and chopping them --- measure out the milk and collect the needed eggs.
Whisk together the heavy cream and eggs with the salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and pour over the cornbread cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes so the cornbread absorbs some of the custard.
Can be made and baked a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat the cornbread pudding, covered with aluminum foil, in a preheated 375 degrees oven until warmed through, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cornbread
(from Tom Douglas's Seattle Kitchen cookbook)
Makes an 8-in square pan of cornbread
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup grated pepper Jack cheese or Gruyere
red pepper flakes (optional, my addition)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 T. honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
plus a little more for buttering the pan
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
Add the red pepper flakes, or skip this step if you don't want any heat.
Melt the butter and let it cool. (I used the microwave for this. About 20 seconds.)
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. (Mine was done at 15.)
B