Southern Spoonbread

Spoonbread is the dish that makes people ask, “Is this cornbread or is this a soufflé?" The answer is both.

Cornmeal cooks on the stovetop with milk, water, butter, and salt until it thickens into a porridge. Then beaten eggs get tempered in gradually, lightening the mixture before it bakes into a puffed, golden casserole that’s creamy in the center and lightly crusted on top.

You eat it with a spoon, straight from the casserole dish. It’s too soft to slice, and that’s exactly the point.

Six ingredients, zero fuss, and it belongs next to fried chicken, roast pork, or a holiday turkey.

Chef Tips

• Temper the eggs by stirring a small amount of the hot cornmeal mixture into the beaten eggs first. Dumping eggs directly into the hot pot scrambles them instantly.
• Beat the eggs until they’re thick and lemon-colored. This incorporates air that makes the spoonbread rise and stay light.
• Don’t open the oven door during the first 25 minutes. Like a soufflé, spoonbread is sensitive to temperature changes and can collapse.
• Serve immediately after baking. Spoonbread deflates as it cools, so bring the casserole dish straight to the table while it’s still puffed and golden.