Summer means corn season! And while we love grilling corn and making corn salad, I wanted to do something a little different this time. Of course, I consulted my favorite book and found an amazing sounding corn souffle.
We’ve made souffles before, and they’re fancy without being too hard to make. So, I decided to use Richie’s all-time favorite food and make it a little bit fancier for dinner.
Never made a bechamel before? It’s actually quite simple. And as long as you have a machine whipping the egg whites for you, it’s really a very easy dish. And impressive. I love the look of a souffle rising above the top of the pan! And then becoming nice and brown, too.
Ingredients:
For the Souffle:
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons fine-ground cornmeal (yellow or white)
- A pinch of paprika
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
- 3 ears of corn, cut from the cob
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use Ina’s trick of grinding it in the food processor)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs, separated, plus 1 additional egg white
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Sauce:
- 1 15-ounce jar roasted red peppers
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (just a pinch!)
Directions:
1. Make the sauce: Rinse pepper in a strainer under cold water, and pat dry with towel.
2. Transfer to a blender or food processor and add the water, olive oil, and salt. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
3. Make the Bechamel: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and paprika.
4. Metlt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
5. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until you can smell it, about one minute.
6. Remove from heat and add the flour mixture, mixing well to remove ay lumps.
7. Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
8. Remove from heat and slowly add the milk, whisking constantly to remove lumps.
9. Return to heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly so nothing burns. Boil 1-2 minutes.
10. Add the corn kernels and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, until they are cooked through and the sauce is thick.
11. Remove from heat and whisk in the Parmesan, basil, and salt.
12. Whisk in the egg yolks and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
13. Preheat the oven to 400 and position a rack in the bottom third. Butter the souffle dish and coat it with parmesan, tapping out the excess.
14. Whip the egg whites in your stand mixer with the cream of tartar until they form firm peaks.
15. With a spatula, gently stir about a quarter of the whites into the bechamel, just to lighten it.
16. Fold in the remaining egg whites until you don’t see any more white streaks.
17. Transfer the batter to your souffle dish and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
18. Then, reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 22 minutes longer until set, browned, and firm to the touch.
19. Warm the red pepper sauce and serve alongside the souffle. Eat immediately.
