2000s Recipes + Menus
Puffy Corn Omelet
Serves4 (main course)
- Active time:15 min
- Start to finish: 35 min
August 2005
Corn on the cob is one of summer's simplest pleasures. Inexpensive and easy to prepare, it's no wonder it had us rhapsodizing 42 years ago about how "we find ourselves thinking of corn on the cob, gloriously buttered and salted." And if you're like us, your enthusiasm at the farmers market ("...the husks were green, the corn silk was amber, and the kernels were plumply resistant to the touch") will lead to an abundance of leftovers at home. So the recipe for this puffy corn omelet is sure to come in handy. Cooked corn and melted butter are combined with beaten egg whites that have been folded into whisked yolks, resulting in a cross between a soufflé and an omelet. Perfect for breakfast or lunch, this dish, with its light, fluffy texture and sunny appearance, could convince you that "corn has undoubtedly proved to be far greater treasure than gold."
- 3 ears of corn, husked
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
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Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350ºF.
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Add corn to a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs with a sharp knife into a bowl, then scrape cobs over bowl to extract "milk."
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Melt butter in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (preferably lightweight) and remove skillet from heat, then transfer 3 tablespoons melted butter to bowl with corn (leaving remaining butter in skillet to cool). Toss corn to coat and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
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Whisk egg yolks with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined. Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into yolks to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Gently fold in corn mixture.
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Spoon mixture into skillet and bake until pale golden and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Loosen omelet with a heatproof rubber spatula and slide onto a plate. Serve sprinkled with chives.
- Keywords
- vegetarian,
- omelet,
- corn,
- eggs,
- summer
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