Sweet and Spicy Cornbread “Soufflé” with Jalapeños

When I talk to people about Louisiana’s year-round growing season, a lot of vegetables come to mind: winter greens, spring onions, late summer zucchini, and early fall acorn squash. But, I seldom remember to mention just how much I love sweet Louisiana corn.  

Sweet and starchy, corn is one of those versatile ingredients that can go either way: added to a salad, cooked and crunchy kernels make the dish sweeter.  Added to a bisque, corn helps thicken the mixture, making it a little more savory; and, you can find corn at many of your local farmers markets starting late May.  I tend to believe early Saturday mornings are just a little more fun when you spend them digging through piles of textured shucks and searching for buried treasures with a friend.  Add your newly acquired “gold” to soups, salads, and Mexican dishes (as with these recipes here, here and here).  

Fortunately, corn is usually available year-round, but I prefer to grab ear-fulls when they’re at the peak of freshness.  Getting to meet local farmers is just one of the many perks no matter what parish you’re in (see here for markets in your area).

Pictured: Louisiana corn, 4/$1.00 at the summer Red Stick Farmer’s Market in Baton Rouge.  When corn is at its peak of freshness, you can find it just about anywhere.

And it’s easy to undersand why corn is a summer favorite: with prices dipping as low as 25-cents an ear during their peak growing season, Louisiana corn is as affordable as it is sweet.  Toss roasted kernels on a salad or grill with the shucks still on and add a little herb butter underneath the papery covering.  This vegetable doesn’t need much coaxing in terms of flavor and can brighten any summer dish.

For today’s recipe, I’d like to share with readers an improvised family classic that pairs spicy jalapeños with sweet summer corn.  During cold winter months, there’s nothing I miss more than fresh summer corn baked inside a cast-iron skillet. Not a “soufflé” in the traditional sense—really, this is just a phrase my grandmother used when making her version…a carryover from 1950s casseroles, I believe—this variation makes sure to sweeten an otherwise bland dish with the use of sugar inside traditional southern cornbread.

Running low on time? Bake a store-bought box of corn bread mix and prepare according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add shredded cheddar cheese and jalapeños. 

–Helana

Sweet and Spicy Cornbread Soufflé with Jalapeños

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 cup self-rising cornmeal 

* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

* large pinch of salt 

* 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

* 3/4 cup sugar 

* 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed 

* 1 cup milk 

* 2 eggs, beaten

* 1 cup jalapeños, chopped (optional)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

8- or 10-inch cast iron skillet 

1.) Preheat oven to 350F and grease a cast-iron skillet. Set aside. 

2.) In a shallow bowl, whisk together dry ingredients—cornmeal, baking soda, salt, and cheddar cheese. Add in sugar and garlic, mixing to combine. Add wet ingredients—milk and eggs—and mix until batter forms. Scrape down sides, fold in jalapeños, and mix one last time, and pour batter into cast-iron skillet. Bake corn bread for 35–45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Sweet and Spicy Cornbread "Soufflé" with Jalapeños, 3.5 out of 5 based on 2 ratings Google+