Dessert: Corn Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 medium ears of corn, shucked
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup cornmeal
6 large eggs, separated
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °. Butter a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. In a large saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the corn, cover and cook over moderately low heat, turning a few times, until tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the corn to a plate and let cool. Remove the saucepan from the heat and swirl in the butter until melted. Let cool to room temperature. Using a serrated knife, cut the kernels off the cobs and add to the saucepan. Scrape the onion into the saucepan. Whisk in the cornmeal, egg yolks, cheddar, the 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper.
In a large stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt at high speed until firm peaks form. Fold the whites into the corn mixture and pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the corn pudding is puffed and golden brown. Let the pudding rest for about 5 minutes before serving.