Author Notes
My Grandmother was an elegant, distinguished woman who was one of those people who could whip together a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings for twelve without breaking a sweat. She is my greatest inspiration in the kitchen. This soufflé is inspired by the corn pudding she would make every Thanksgiving. Perhaps if it were Fall and the weather cooler, I would tip my hat to her by presenting her recipe here. Instead, it is muggy and hot here and my homage to her is a lighter soufflé version. I also punched up the flavor by adding a touch of chipotle and lime zest. I also made it gluten free, so my husband, who is gluten intolerant, could enjoy it as well. I do not think I have ever fully appreciated the well matched pair of lime and corn; here the lime makes the corn taste buttery and the corn takes the bitter edge off the lime, leaving only its sweet citrus notes. Add the subtle heat from the chipotle and you get a light, savory soufflé that is anything but one note. Individual soufflés in ramekins would also be lovely.
Note: Sorghum flour is a millet like grain that is also a nutrient rich powerhouse. In its flour form it is looks a bit like buckwheat flour in color. I used sorghum flour in place of wheat flour, with the following results: 1) It does not puff up as much as a normal soufflé (see photo) but falls as quickly. Without the gluten, the top becomes delicate custard, with the sweet, savory corn at the bottom. 2) To my palate, the sorghum flour is imperceptible – this soufflé is delicious and if I had not made it myself I would not guess that it had gluten free flour. I think I will always make this with these ingredients, and I think my Grandmother would approve. - gingerroot
—gingerroot
Test Kitchen Notes
This was the first time I've ever made a soufflé and I will, as requested by my teenager, make it LOTS more. It took about twice as long to cook as the recipe said, perhaps because I placed it on an insulated cookie sheet to catch potential drips, which wasn't necessary. It was worth it though to hear my teenager say "I don't like it. I LOVE it. I mean, more than meat. More than good steak, and for vegetables and eggs, that's saying a lot." We both really delighted in the lime and chipotle notes. Note: I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour blend, which is partly sorghum, but also has other flours in it. - Serene —The Editors
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Ingredients
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1/4 cup
unsalted butter
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3 tablespoons
'sweet' white sorghum flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
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1 teaspoon
salt
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2 tablespoons
sugar
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1 1/4 cups
1% milk
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1/2 cup
heavy cream
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Kernels from 3 ears fresh corn (about 2 cups)
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1/2 teaspoon
minced chipotle in adobo (including seeds) plus 1/2 t adobo sauce
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3
large eggs, separated, plus 1 large egg white
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Scant 1 t minced zest of lime (I used one very small lime)
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart soufflé dish.
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Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Add the flour to the melted butter, and whisk, but do not let the flour cook and get darker (even removing pan from heat if necessary). Stir into a thick paste, adding salt and sugar.
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Add milk and cream to flour mixture and whisk constantly until liquid thickens a bit, about 4 minutes. Use a spatula to stir up and combine any sorghum flour that may have collected around the edges of your saucepan. Stir in corn. Remove from heat.
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Beat egg yolks in a bowl until pale and thick. Temper the yolk into the flour-corn mixture. Fold in minced chipotle, adobo sauce and lime zest. Set mixture aside.
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Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until medium-firm peaks form. Thoroughly, but gently, fold egg whites into corn mixture in three additions. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake for 30 minutes; top should be golden brown, slightly puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy immediately, or warm.
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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