This Corn Custard is a wonderful way to showcase fresh-off-the-cobb white corn. The fresh taste of the corn really shines through in this dish.
I served this pudding as part of a Mexican-themed menu at a recent party and it got high praise from all of my guests. The fresh corn devotees were especially impressed.
This recipe is from one that appears in the cookbook Doña Tomás as Budín de Elote. Doña Tomás is a Mexican restaurant in Oakland, California, renowned for its creative menu featuring regional Mexican foods. The cookbook is available on Amazon here.The cookbook authors, Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky, note that their restaurant has a faithful clientele who savor the fresh white corn version of this dish when corn is ripe between June and October. When fresh corn isn’t available, they feature a version of this pudding with zucchini and shallots or poblanos and green garlic or other seasonal vegetables.
Here is the dish as I prepared it in my kitchen. I did sprinkle a bit of cayenne pepper on the pudding to give it a bit of heat.
Corn Pudding: Budin de Elote
Ingredients
- 3 C. fresh corn kernels
- 1 1/2 C. fresh zucchini (cut into 1/4-inch dice)
- 1/3 C. all-purpose lour
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 C. heavy cream
- 2 t. kosher salt
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.. Center oven rack in the center of the oven.
- Step 2 Cut corn kernels off the cobb of fresh corn. Remove as much of the corn silk as possible. (I used a brush.)
- Step 3 Cut the fresh zucchini into 1/4 inch dice. I did not peel the zucchini. The green zucchini skin was attractive in the dish. I’m thinking I may add some diced jalapeno peppers to this dish the next time I make it.
- Step 4 Toss the corn kernels and diced zucchini in the flour.
- Step 5 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks. Then, whisk the cream and salt into the eggs.
- Step 6 Prepare a 9-inch deep casserole by buttering it generously. Arrange the diced zucchini and corn on the bottom of the casserole, smoothing the top of the diced vegetables until they are about 1 inch deep. Pour the egg custard mixture over the vegetables.
- Step 7 Bake uncovered for about an hour. My pudding took a little longer than that. You want the top of the pudding to be firm when pressed and you want the pudding to be cooked through. When done, remove the pudding from the oven and let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes to allow it to further firm up. Serve warm or at room temperature.
