Spoonbread With Roasted Green Chilies

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 large New Mexico or poblano green chili, roasted, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

6 servings

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a medium-size baking dish. In a pot, combine 1 tablespoon butter with 1 1/4 cups water and bring to a boil. In a bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt and sugar and pour into the boiling water, stirring well. Stir in the chilies, and turn off heat.
2. In a bowl or mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. To the cornmeal mixture, add the yolks, buttermilk and baking soda, and mix well. Fold in the egg whites until well combined. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
3. Bake 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the size of the dish), until puffed and golden on top but a little soft in the center. Scoop immediately into serving bowls with a large spoon.

• To double the recipe, bake it in two pans.

45 minutes