Shucking Kernels

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah. I won. No. Scratch that. I didn’t just win…I demolished Lisa “Serrated Knife” Gnat in a corn-a-thon. I might sound kernel-cocky, but, given that Lisa has mad knife skills, I think I’ve earned the right to brag a bit.

How’d I beat my samurai sister? Secret weapon: The Kuhn Rikon Corn Zipper. I grabbed the 6-inches of Swedish innovation and zipped my heart out. With each ear averaging 800 kernels, I hit 4,000 niblets in no time. My cobs were clean, my technique safer, quicker, easier and tidier than that of my sister. In fact, so speedy, that I’ve been zip-a-dee-ay-ing to my hearts delight…and making corn fritters, corn chowder and of course, our Bite Me Bountiful Corn Pudding.

Bountiful Corn Pudding

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
4 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup butter

2 cups fresh corn kernels (3 – 4 ears)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Separate egg yolks into a small bowl and egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer. Set both aside.
3. In a large saucepan, whisk cornmeal, milk and salt over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir frequently and cook 5 minutes until mixture is very thick. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add corn kernels, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper, sautéing for 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor and puree until kernels are chopped, about 10 seconds.
5. Once cornmeal mixture has cooled, stir in pureed corn kernels and egg yolks until well combined.
6. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Doing half at a time, gently fold egg whites into cornmeal mixture. Spread batter into prepared dish and bake 30-35 minutes until pudding is puffed
   and top is golden. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 – 8