History
Spoonbread descends from Native American cornmeal porridges through Virginia and Kentucky plantation kitchens, whipped with eggs and milk until it bakes into a wobbling, souffle-like pudding. Boone Tavern in Berea, founded in 1909, made table-side spoonbread its calling card and the town hosts an annual Spoonbread Festival, while Bluegrass home cooks keep it in the holiday rotation alongside country ham.
Common allergens: Dairy, Eggs
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 150g white cornmeal
- 480ml whole milk
- 45g butter, plus more for the dish
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
Method
- Heat the milk to a bare simmer and whisk in the cornmeal until thick, about 3 minutes; stir in the butter, salt and sugar and cool slightly.
- Beat the yolks with the baking powder and fold into the cornmeal base.
- Whip the whites to soft peaks and fold them through in two additions.
- Scrape into a buttered 20cm baking dish and bake at 190C for 35 to 40 minutes until puffed and just set in the centre.
- Serve immediately with a spoon, straight from the dish, with butter melting on top.
Tip from the editors. It must wobble; an extra five minutes in the oven turns spoonbread into plain cornbread and wastes the whipped whites.
Where to eat kentucky spoonbread
Kentucky spoonbread in Lexington
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Lexington. See where to eat Kentucky spoonbread in Lexington or the Lexington signature dishes guide.
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