Corn pudding can often be a one-note side dish without any dimension or balance. The ripple of Armanino Basil Pesto in this recipe gives it an herbal zing that lightens the load. Plus, visually? It’s a showstopper.
Ingredients
1 pound frozen corn, defrosted
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup Armanino Basil Pesto
Directions
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400°F. Butter an 8×8-inch square baking dish with butter.
Combine cream and 1 ½ cups of the corn in food processor or blender and process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, parmesan, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, melted butter, egg and pureed corn mixture then mix in the remaining corn kernels.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined.
Transfer half of the batter to the prepared baking dish.
Dot with half of the pesto then top with the remaining batter.
Dot the remaining pesto on top and insert a chopstick or butter knife through the batter and gently swirl the pesto.
Bake until slightly puffed and the edges are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.
Chef’s Tips
Defrost the corn in the refrigerator overnight on the counter for an hour, or microwave gently. Frozen corn will not process well with the cream, making a sort of slush that is difficult to work with.
When swirling the pesto into the batter, insert a chopstick or butter knife all the way to the bottom of the pan and gently swirl throughout the entire pan. Take care not to overmix; you want a bit of pesto in every bite but not completely blended throughout the batter.
