Corn Pudding, Betty Worthington Briscoe

I don’t know about you but I’m not through with corn just yet. You can hold the pumpkin until I’m done scraping kernels from the last fresh cob I can find.
I like to broil it (or grill it) and add it to things or freeze for later. This time I opted for a plain corn pudding to best utilize the taste of the flame-caramelized corn.

I found a recipe in “Maryland’s Way” care of Betty Worthington Briscoe. The Briscoe name can be found throughout Southern Maryland in the descendants of some of Maryland’s original volonists as well as the descendants of people who had been enslaved at plantations such as Sotterly.

In this case, the branch of the family in question resided in Calvert County where the father of Everard Briscoe was a physician. Everard too would become a physician, marrying Harriett Elizabeth “Betty” Worthington in 1923 and moving to Baltimore. The family was prominent in Maryland, frequently mentioned in the Baltimore Sun as well as newspapers in Washington County where Betty was from.

The daughter of a well-known railroad conductor (who had a route from Hagerstown to Baltimore), Betty had received a degree from what is now Towson University. Although she never used her teaching degree until after her husband’s sudden 1944 passing, she did lots of other work from serving the Red Cross to being the secretary of the Calvert County Historical Society. She wrote a weekly column in the Calvert Independent newspaper called “Know Your County.” The column has served as a resource, especially for the Maryland Historical Trust’s cataloging of historically significant structures in the region.

Old Field, Maryland Historical Trust

One such structure was the home that Betty and Everard eventually resided in, known as “Old Field.” It had been built in 1891 by Everard’s uncle, Judge John Parran Briscoe, “a prominent judge in the Maryland Circuit Court and Court of Appeals.” Everard Briscoe practiced medicine in the downstairs of the large home.

Still residing at Old Fields, Betty died in 1981 at age 79. Shortly after, the house (presumably the doctor’s office portion) was converted into a restaurant. According to “A Taste of History: A Guide to Historic Eateries and Their Recipes” by Debbie Nunley and Karen Jane Elliott, the restaurant served a cake named in Betty’s honor.

It was really only natural that corn should find it’s way into pudding. Pudding is THE most time-honored British-descended American food tradition. (I need to write a whole thing about that eventually…) While rice pudding still lives on, the often-less-sweet corn pudding is somewhat more obscure. It’s a shame because this versatile dish can make a great side, dessert, or even a main dish with a little creativity. You could top it with hot sauce, honey, or both for that matter. It’s a good way to transition away from fresh summer goodness into the warm, goopy dishes of fall.

Recipe:

2 eggs
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Teaspoon sugar
1 Cup milk
1 Cup grated corn
butter

Beat eggs. Add salt, flour and sugar; then whisk in the milk and corn. Pour into a greased baking dish and dot with butter. Bake at 350° oven until it is solid but wobbly, about 45 minutes.

Recipe adapted from “Maryland’s Way: The Hammond-Harwood House Cookbook”