Corn Pudding

I love corn. I love the texture, the subtle sweetness, and most of all, the fact that you can use it for sweet or savoury dishes. Corn pudding - commonly served as a Thanksgiving side dish - is a combination of both! Think cornbread meets custard. That speaks to the consistency and the taste, thanks to the mix of eggs, milk, and of course, corn!

It's considered a staple in the rural American South.

Cornbread is what I'm more familiar with when it comes to corn-based sides, but that's mostly because in Zimbabwe we have something very similar called chimodo which I have a recipe for, here.

Corn pudding is a great alternative side for the holidays, with sweet undertones and not so potent flavour that it will overpower the main dishes. Think of it like extra moist, rich, and delicious cornbread.

The recipe is a super easy, tasty addition to the table, and certainly, an ultimate comfort food making it a fitting for the holidays.

Ingredients

1 can sweet corn kernels (15.25 ounces)

1 1/2 cans creamed corn (14.75 ounces)

5 eggs

Pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon chipotle

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup yellow stone ground cornmeal

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup milk or cream

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, pepper, and chipotle, whisk again until well mixed.

Whisk in the cornstarch, and try to make sure most of the large lumps dissolve.

Add the corn kernels, cornmeal, and creamed corn, stir until well incorporated.

Transfer to a small glass baking dish (lightly sprayed with cooking oil), then bake at 400F for 50 minutes to an hour until set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool but serve warm! The pudding's consistency should be like a thick custard.

Fried Sadza with Chilli Creamed Corn

This recipe is the third of six plates I would serve if asked to make a 6-course meal or string of small plates/tapas based on Zimbabwean cuisine. I used ingredients that are commonly eaten or are considered a cornerstone of our cooking, but with a modern twist. The first was sweet potato soup and the second was tomato bruschetta with guava balsamic glaze.

Sadza. A quintessential part of Zimbabwean cuisine.  It's merely ground cornmeal cooked into a dough-like consistency, so a lot can be done with it. We don't typically fry it, similar to the way hushpuppies are made. I like to compare it to naan in India and injera in Ethiopia. Sazda is mainly used as a starch to serve with stewed and grilled meats and vegetables, or as a tool to eat with using hands, no cutlery necessary!

I seasoned and cooked the sadza, coat them with breadcrumbs then fried the balls in peanut oil. 

These can be delicious as they are, but you'll want a sauce or gravy to serve the fried sadza with. Fast-food chain KFC adapted this into their menu to cater to the Zimbabwean market, which I found interesting when I first learned of it, but you can do it in your own home!

I made a spicy, creamed corn sauce to dip the fried sadza balls into, making for a delightful appetizer. If you're big on texture, add some corn kernels.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white mealie/cornmeal

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

2 teaspoons fenugreek powder

1 1/2 tablespoons coriander

1 can creamed corn

1 tablespoon cumin

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 poblano pepper, diced

2 tablespoons Royco Usavi mix (optional)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup finely minced onion

2 cups peanut oil (more if you need it)

1/3 + 1/4 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

Make your sauce. You can reheat it when it comes time to serve with the sadza balls. In a small frying pan, sauté the creamed corn and diced poblano pepper with the minced garlic, tomato sauce, onion, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon fenugreek, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and Royco Usavi on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and simmer for another 5 minutes, set aside. You can adjust the water depending on how thick you want your dipping sauce.

Mix about 1/4 of the cornmeal with the garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon fenugreek and 1/3 cup cold water (or enough) to form a paste. Pour the boiling water into a little bit at a time while stirring with a wooden (or whisking) to prevent lumps over medium heat. Take care not to splash yourself! A thick porridge should begin to form.

Over medium-low heat, once the porridge begins to bubble cover with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Fold in the rest of the cornmeal flour a little bit at a time with a figure 8 motion to thicken the sadza, and ensure not to leave any dry cornmeal in the pot. You can add more or less cornmeal by a slight margin, but you’ll want the sadza to be thick enough to roll into balls later.

Cover with lid again and allow for it to breathe for about 10 minutes - you may hear a puffing sound. Remove from heat and set aside.

Transfer the sadza to a large bowl to further cool until you can manage it with your hands, but don't allow it to get stone cold!

Heat the peanut oil on medium-low heat in preparation to fry.

Roll the sadza into balls, then systematically dip into egg and then the breadcrumbs.

Fry the sadza balls 3-4 at a time depending on the size of your pot, rotating to evenly fry on each side until they are golden brown. 

Remove and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Serve the fried sadza balls hot immediately with the sauce, makes about 9-12 balls.