A Signature Dish by Mario Batali

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Sweet Corn Crema With Cornmeal Zeppole and Blackberries

Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali

Crema:

2 ears fresh sweet corn

1 cup milk

2 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

8 egg yolks

pinch kosher salt

Zeppole:

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup plus 2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. whole milk

1 2/3 cup unbleached AP flour, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. instant polenta

2 tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

6 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Blackberry Compote:

2 pints blackberries

2 tbsp. crème de cassis

1/4 cup sugar

To make the crema:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place eight 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups in a baking dish large enough to fit them with at least an inch of space between each ramekin.

With a sharp knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob. Cut the cobs in half and place in a medium saucepan with the kernels, milk, cream and 1/3 cup of the sugar. With the tip of a knife, scrape the vanilla bean into the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and steep until cool.

Discard the corncobs, then use an immersion blender to purée the mixture until somewhat smooth. This step may also be done in a regular blender in small batches. Bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring constantly, then set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar until completely blended. Gradually whisk half of the hot corn custard into the yolks, then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the remaining custard and whisk well. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in the salt.

Stir in the corn kernels and divide the custard evenly among the ramekins. Add enough hot water to the baking dish to come one-third of the way up the side of the ramekins. Cover the entire baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake the custards on the middle oven rack for about 40 minutes. The custard will be done when they are no longer liquid in the center and are completely set.

Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the foil. Allow the custards to cool in the water bath for 20 minutes and then refrigerate until completely chilled.

To make the zeppole:

Cream together the butter and 1/3 cup of sugar until very light. Add the eggs and continue to beat; the mixture will appear broken. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla extract and milk.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat until completely incorporated. You will have a very soft, sticky dough. Sprinkle the dough liberally with flour and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill until somewhat firm, at least 2 hours.

When the dough is completely chilled and firm, flour a board liberally and unwrap the dough. Roll to 3/4-inch thickness, using as much flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.

Using a small doughnut cutter, cut out as many zeppole as possible, rerolling the scraps as necessary until you have used all the dough. As you cut the zeppole, place them on a baking sheet sprinkled lightly with flour to prevent them from sticking. Return the zeppole to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the vegetable oil to 340 degrees. Place the remaining 2 cups of sugar in a shallow bowl. Line several baking sheets with two layers of paper towels.

Fry the zeppole a few at a time in the hot oil, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Drain on the paper towels, and while they are still hot, roll them in the bowl of sugar to coat each one completely. The zeppole may be fried up to four hours before serving, but they are especially good served hot.

Spoon some of the compote over each serving of cream and serve with a warm zeppole.

To make the compote:

Place the berries in a medium saucepan and toss with the créme de cassis and sugar. Place the pan over low heat and cook slowly, shaking the pan occasionally to cook the berries evenly. When the berries have softened somewhat and released their juices, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Serve the zeppole simply by itself, or with the blackberry compote to jazz it up, or take the dessert to spectacular heights with the silky corn crema.