For years I’ve attended a seasonal get-together called “Friend Thanksgiving,” which is simple in concept (just as it sounds: all friends, no family) and delicious in execution. It’s basically a potluck open house held the weekend before the actual holiday and guests bring a side dish to accompany the enormous turkey(s) cooked by the hosts.
Part of the fun was the complete diversity and inventiveness of the dishes. Sure, there would be the expected stuffing and mashed potatoes, but there might also be Asian-style brussel sprouts, a blue-cheese gratin or braised radicchio. Point being, sometimes changing up the traditional fare isn’t a bad thing. I, unfortunately, no longer live near the “Friend Thanksgiving” couple, but if I did, this is what I would bring—Scalloped Corn from David Tanis’ Heart of the Artichoke—it seems like a nice mix between something I don’t often see at the Thanksgiving table, but at the same time entirely Pilgrim-appropriate.
Scalloped Corn:
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering the dish and topping
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
Kernels from 6 ears sweet corn (about 3 cups)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1) Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter a 10-inch baking dish.
2) Melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a medium skillet, and soften the onion with a little salt, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, season with salt and pepper and cayenne, and stir well with a wooden spoon.
3) Slowly add the half-and-half and stir well as the sauce thickens. Add the corn kernels and simmer for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat.
4) Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl, and stir into the corn mixture.
5) Pour the corn mixture into the baking dish. Scatter the bread crumbs over the top and dot with butter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden.
No Comments