Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1818) of Lewis Henry Morgan, pioneering U.S. anthropologist and social theorist whose day job was a railroad lawyer. He is best known for his work on kinship and social structure, his theories of social evolution, and his ethnography of the Iroquois. Morgan was a near contemporary of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who were influenced by reading his work on the evolution of culture. Morgan was cited by such diverse scholars as Marx (Capital), Engels (Origin of the Family . . . etc), Charles Darwin (Descent of Man), and Sigmund Freud (Totem and Taboo).  The fact that Morgan’s theories on kinship and cultural evolution are mostly wrong makes an analysis of the theorists who relied on his work, let’s say, complicated.

It seems fitting to give you an Iroquois recipe to celebrate Morgan’s life work.  Contemporary Iroquois recipes emphasize traditional ingredients, such as corn, but have also incorporated European basics, such as dairy products.  Iroquois corn pudding is now a classic, especially at the Thanksgiving table at this time of year.  If you use fresh corn you can make the pudding richer by broiling the corn ears first until the kernels are lightly charred, and toasting the cornmeal in a heavy, dry skillet.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
3 cups half-and-half
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups milk
5 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C

Grease a 9×13” baking dish with butter.

Sauté onion in butter until translucent. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk the cornmeal with the half and half. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat. Add the onion mixture, milk, eggs, and corn kernels.

Pour the entire mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45–50 minutes, until set and lightly browned.