“Stop trying to make Indian Pudding happen.” It’s a phrase I’ve been telling Dan since we first started taking Thanksgiving orders in 1999.

Dan started the idea for Hearty Boys when he lived in a ski town in the mountains of Maine. He had opened a really cute thriving cafe and was just starting his hand at catering. Mainers are very familiar with Indian Pudding but in spite of growing up on the east coast, Long Island was too far south to have heard of this traditional Yankee holiday dish.

Its a classic New England custard of molasses and cornmeal and flavored with lovely warm fall spices. Admittedly, it isn’t the prettiest dish but it’s got a comforting texture and loves to be served warm with vanilla ice cream. Dan won me over each time he made it but as hard as he tried, Chicagoans wouldn’t commit to ordering it from our Thanksgiving pick up menu. Or when he put it on the menu at Hearty Restaurant for that matter. “Stop trying to make Indian Pudding happen.”

This year, he’s changed the recipe up and tweaked the flavors to create a sweet and savory version to serve as a Thanksgiving side. It makes a really fun and surprising cornmeal dressing to serve alongside your bird with flavors of shallot, fig and clove. Have a real Yankee Thanksgiving this year and email us to let us know how your family enjoyed it! I promise they’ll like it if we can strong arm them into trying it. Together…we can “Make Indian Pudding Happen”

Savory Indian Pudding

4 cups milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup butter
2 shallots, minced
8 dried figs, minced
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs

Pour the milk in to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and slowly add the cornmeal. Let simmer 10 minutes.

Sauté the shallots in the butter until soft and add to the cornmeal mix along with the molasses, figs, thyme, cloves, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and temper by whisking in some of the warm cornmeal. Once mixed, add the egg mix back to the saucepan, whisking well to incorporate.

Pour the mix into a greased half-pan and bake in a 350 oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until barely set.