Name: Cheese and corn polenta loaf
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 10-12
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra 180g, melted; 350g corn kernels, fresh or frozen; 2 cups plain flour, sifted; 200g instant polenta; 1 Tbsp and 1 tsp baking powder; 3 tsp ground cumin; 2 Tbsp caster sugar; 250g grated cheddar cheese; 1 1/2 tsp sea-salt flakes; Freshly ground black pepper, to season; 2/3 cup milk; 200g thick Greek yoghurt; 5 free-range eggs, separated; 2 tsp honey; 1 white onion, sliced into 1cm rings; 1 red onion, sliced into 1cm rings; Softened butter, to serve

If your kids are like Karen’s, they need a snack when they get home from school. But instead of having something sweet, Karen’s cheese and corn polenta loaf is an incredibly flavourful savoury loaf that can get them through to dinner but is also great in their school lunch box. It can also be frozen, but only if it lasts long enough!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra 180g, melted

350g corn kernels, fresh or frozen

2 cups plain flour, sifted

200g instant polenta

1 Tbsp and 1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp caster sugar

250g grated cheddar cheese

1 1/2 tsp sea-salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper, to season

2/3 cup milk

200g thick Greek yoghurt

5 free-range eggs, separated

2 tsp honey

1 white onion, sliced into 1cm rings

1 red onion, sliced into 1cm rings

Softened butter, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C fan-forced (200 degrees C conventional). Grease a 24cm round springform tin and line with baking paper.

Melt butter in a large frying pan on high heat. Cook corn for 5 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until golden brown all over. Remove from heat and cool. Set aside 50g corn to use for the top of the loaf.

Put flour, polenta, all baking powder, cumin, sugar and cheddar in a medium bowl with salt and a good grind of black pepper. Stir to combine and make a well in the centre.

Combine extra melted butter, milk, yoghurt, yolks, honey and cooled corn in a bowl. Fold in gently, until well combined (don’t over-mix).

Whisk egg whites into soft peaks and gently fold into corn mixture using a spatula.

Spoon mixture into prepared tin, smooth top and arrange onion slices and reserved corn on top (you may not need all the onion). Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice loaf and serve with softened butter.

Polenta slice — While it’s divine served simply with butter, you can also toast slices and top them with avo, tomato and poached eggs for a hearty brunch dish.

Cook’s tips

If using fresh corn cobs, you can char them on an open flame and then slice the kernels off the cob.
Add a sprinkle of whole black cumin seeds to garnish before baking.
Store in the fridge for up to five days, and bake foil-wrapped slices at 160 degrees C fan-forced for 10 minutes to warm through and refresh.

Karen Martini Chef

Melbourne chef, restaurateur and food writer Karen Martini has been cooking professionally for more than 20 years. A passionate ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Research, Karen aims to build the awareness of the silent killer that is often misdiagnosed.

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Ingredients

Method

Cook’s tips

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