Spring Allium & Cheddar Spoonbread
Spoonbread is the love child of a souffle and cornbread, with all of the richness of cornbread enveloped in an impossibly airy, custard-like souffle. As the name suggests, spoonbread is so ethereal that it cannot be turned out of its pan—instead, it is served by scooping portions directly onto a plate. Allium refers to members of the onion and garlic family, which are plentiful in the spring. I encourage you to experiment with your alliums here: Look for green garlic, chives, ramps, spring onions, leeks, scallions, or garlic scapes at your farmers’ market and mix and match whatever looks best to you. Serve the spoonbread with a big green salad for a light lunch, or as a side to a roast chicken for dinner.
Equipment
- 8-inch cast-iron skillet
- Hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (46 grams) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup (2.5 ounces or 67 grams) spring alliums, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups (16 ounces or 473 ml) whole milk
- 1/3 cup (65 grams) medium-grind cornmeal
- 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) red pepper flakes
- 3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) cream of tartar
- 1 cup (3 ounces or 87 grams) grated sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add chopped alliums and saute until just wilted, about 4 minutes. (You may have to sauté for more or less time, depending on the alliums you choose—we’re looking for them to be wilted and soft here.) Remove from heat and scrape alliums into a small bowl.
- In a large saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just hot, taking care not to let the milk boil. Add the cornmeal, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and whisk continually for 3–4 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly. Whisk in the 2 remaining tablespoons butter until melted. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until opaque and foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until the egg whites reach stiff peaks.
- Whisk the egg yolks and the sautéed alliums into the cornmeal mixture. Whisk ⅓ of the whipped egg whites into the mixture and then, using a flexible spatula, gently fold the remaining egg whites into the mixture. Fold in the shredded cheese.
- Scrape mixture back into the 8-inch cast-iron skillet (skillet will be very full) and place skillet on top of a sheet tray. Place the sheet tray on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, rotate the sheet tray front to back and place on the top rack of the oven. Bake for 10–15 minutes more, or until top is puffed and browned and the center of the spoonbread is set. Serve immediately.
Notes
A little spice is nice here! Try substituting pepper jack cheese for the cheddar and upping the red pepper flakes to ½ teaspoon, if desired. Don’t have a cast-iron skillet? The spoonbread can be baked in either an 8-inch cake pan or an 8-inch-square baking dish. For best results, give your pan a coat of nonstick cooking spray before pouring in the batter. Your spoonbread may need to spend a little more time in the oven with either of these options.
