Spoonbread

Recipe by Abby Love for Edible Austin
Photo by Casey Woods

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This creamy spoonbread makes a great side for everything from pork chops to Brussels sprouts. You can use any variety of Barton Springs Mill cornmeal. The Bloody Butcher and Green Oaxacan make particularly dramatic dishes with rich, earthy colors. If you prefer a more traditional cornbread, try our Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread.

2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, plus more for greasing
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup Barton Springs Mill stone-ground cornmeal, any variety
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon(s) baking powder

Heat the oven to 350° and butter a small casserole or soufflé dish.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter and honey to a boil. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. (This will happen almost immediately.) Remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and baking powder. Add a spoonful at a time of the hot corn mush to the eggs, whisking all the while, to temper the eggs so that they don’t curdle.

Once the egg mixture is warm, add the remaining corn mush and whisk until homogeneous. Transfer to the prepared dish.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the center looks set and a knife inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with a big spoon.