Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Chile-Corn Custard with Salsa and Avocado

The latest issue of Bon Appetit (June 2009) is nicely put together and has a great section of Mexican inspired recipes. Perfect for this time of year when all we really want is for summer to finally arrive.

I made the chile-corn custard squares and was really impressed with the results. Jeremy and I had it for dinner two nights in a row and I can't wait for a week to pass so I can make it again. It's that good.




Now, Bon Appetit suggests the recipe as an appetizer- and while it would make a great one, one of my favorite things is turning an appetizer into a main. Since they're usually tasty little things, why not make the portion a little larger and enjoy it as a meal?

Tip!
Appetizers are great because they are such flavourful and tasty little bits. Why not double the portion and turn it into a meal. Add a side dish and salad to make it a well-rounded dinner.


Chile-Corn Custard with Salsa and Avocado
(6 appetizer servings or 2-3 dinner servings)

Ingredients

3 1/2
tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1
onion, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons grape seed oil

1/4
cup all purpose flour
1/4
cup cornmeal
1/2
teaspoon baking powder
1/4
teaspoon salt
1 egg

2/3
cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (try half Monteray Jack and half feta cheese)
1/2 cup sour cream plus additional for garnish
1/2
cup canned creamed corn
1
jalapeño, seeded and minced
Tomato salsa (for garnish)
1 avocado

Directions
Heat 1-2 tablespoons grape seed oil in large skillet over a medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with butter.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Whisk egg, 1/3 cup cheese blend, 1/2 cup sour cream and creamed corn in large bowl. Add flour mixture and stir to blend. Stir in jalapeño and caramelized onions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup cheese blend over the top evenly

Bake for about 35 minutes, until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out clean. Allow the squares to cool a little before serving.

Cut into squares. Top each square with a spoonful of salsa, a few slices of avocado and a little crumbled feta cheese.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can I use polenta instead of cornmeal?

Melody Wey said...

This custard is very close to polenta because of the quarter cup cornmeal, but you could definitely use straight polenta instead. This is the first question I asked myself too.

You could add corn as a topping with avocado or instead of- or have fresh corn on the cob on the side when it’s in season. I can barely wait! Thanks for the question.