In many places, fresh corn season runs more or less through the end of September, so I wanted to make sure to sneak this recipe in before it's too late. It's officially called "Grilled Corn Pudding," but I'm changing the title here to "Charred Corn Pudding" because lots of us don't have grills, and this dish is very doable without one. The key (and what distinguishes this from "normal" corn pudding recipes) is getting some nice char marks on the ears of corn before stripping off the kernels. That can be done on a grill, under a broiler, or by placing the corn directly on the gas burners on your stove. (The stovetop thing is very fast, very easy, and very effective; just don't put any oil on the corn, unless you want a small fireball and a big mess.) After that, you just stir the corn kernels into a simple batter (milk, eggs, butter) and bake until set. The smokiness of the corn permeates the whole dish and you wind up with something kind of extraordinary.

It's great as is, but also takes kindly to messing around. Some grated melting cheese stirred into the batter is never a bad thing; chopped charred jalapeños or other fresh chiles add a beautiful kick; a drizzle of maple syrup or honey in the batter or before serving intensifies the sweetness; some cumin and/or pimentón in the batter doubles down on the smokiness; you can also take this to a totally different place by substituting coconut milk for one cup of the milk. If you're already planning on cooking this weekend and can get your hands on a few ears of corn, this is a pretty stellar side dish. See you Tuesday.

—Mark

CHARRED CORN PUDDING

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