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Corn Pudding
1 quart fresh corn cut from cob 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 3 eggs slightly beaten 2 cups milk 3 tablespoons melted butter Put all ingredients into greased baking dish and bake slowly in moderate oven until firm.
A plain baked corn custard with no thickener but egg, which makes the oven temperature the whole game.
- The hinge: low and slowThis is a custard, and egg custard sets at around 175-180F. "Slowly in a moderate oven" means 325-350F, not hotter; above that the eggs tighten and weep, leaving watery pudding with a curdled grain.
- Water bathThe recipe gives no oven guidance beyond "slowly" and "moderate." In a modern oven, setting the dish in a roasting pan with an inch of hot water moderates the heat and protects the edges while the center sets.
- How much cornA quart of cut kernels is about 4 cups, roughly 6 to 8 medium ears. After cutting, run the back of the knife down the cobs to scrape out the starchy "milk" — it adds body and sweetness, though the eggs are what set the pudding.
- Frozen cornFrozen kernels work but carry no cob milk and more water. Thaw and drain well, and expect a looser, less sweet result than the original intends.
- DonenessBake 45 to 60 minutes. A knife slid in halfway between edge and center should come out clean while the very middle still trembles; it firms as it stands. Give it 10 minutes out of the oven before serving.
- SeasoningA teaspoon of salt for 2 cups of milk and 3 eggs is in line with modern taste. A pinch of sugar is unnecessary with good sweet corn; a grating of nutmeg is common in baked custards generally, if you want it.
- YieldNeeds a 2-quart or slightly larger baking dish; serves six to eight as a side.
Corn pudding belongs to the long American line of baked custards built on native maize — the same family as spoonbread and the older "Indian pudding," though this version drops the cornmeal and molasses in favor of fresh kernels off the cob, which places it squarely in high summer. The recipe itself uses no leavening at all, relying entirely on eggs for structure.