Recipes: 22 Ways to Make the Most of Cornmeal
Indian Pudding (Saveur)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
5 1⁄2 cups milk
1 (2″) piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
3⁄4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2⁄3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. light molasses
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 stick cinnamon, halved
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Heat oven to 325°. Grease eight 4-oz. ramekins; set aside. Bring milk, ginger, and vanilla bean with seeds to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat; remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard ginger and vanilla bean. Return milk to saucepan and add sugar, cornmeal, molasses, syrup, and cinnamon; bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Whisk in butter, and remove from heat; discard cinnamon.
Pour mixture evenly among ramekins, and place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and the center jiggles slightly when the ramekins are tapped, about one hour. Let cool for 10 minutes, and then top with a scoop of ice cream to serve.
GREENS, CORNMEAL, AND SAUSAGE SOUP (Saveur)
1⁄2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp. canola oil
6 oz. kielbasa sausage, cut diagonally into 1⁄4″-thick slices
7 cups chicken stock
4 oz. greens (mustard, kale, collards, etc), stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Heat cornmeal in a 10″ skillet over medium-high heat and cook, swirling pan constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer cornmeal to a bowl; set aside. Heat oil in skillet and add sausages; cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a 6-qt. pot over high heat. Whisk in reserved cornmeal, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, whisking often, until cornmeal is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in reserved sausages and greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until collards wilt, 15 minutes. Place eggs in a medium bowl and add 1 cup cornmeal mixture; whisk until smooth. Return mixture to pot and stir until incorporated; cook for 1 minute more and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 serving bowls and garnish with scallions; serve hot.
HUSH PUPPIES (food.com)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄2 cup onion, finely diced
2 eggs, beaten
2⁄3 cup milk
4 tablespoons canola oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray cups of mini muffin pans with nonstick vegetable spray.
Blend cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and red pepper in medium bowl.
Stir in onion. Beat eggs, milk and oil in small bowl. Add to cornmeal mixture and stir just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling cups 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
AREPAS DE HUEVO (EGG-STUFFED CORN CAKES) (Saveur)
• 2 cups precooked white corn flour
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying
• 8 eggs
• Hot sauce, for serving (optional)
Mix corn flour and salt in a bowl. Stir in 2 1⁄2 cups warm water and 1 tbsp. oil until dough forms; knead until smooth, 2–3 minutes. Divide dough into eight 4-oz. balls. Heat 2″ oil in a 6-qt. saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°. Flatten balls into 5″ disks, about 1⁄4″ thick. Working in batches, fry, flipping once, until puffed, 3–4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Increase oil to 375°. Working with one arepa at a time, slice a 3″ incision horizontally without cutting all the way through to make a pocket. Crack 1 egg into pocket; fry until egg is set, 2–3 minutes. Drain on paper towels; serve with hot sauce, if you like.