Corn Madeleines with Crème Fraîche and Ratatouille

• Corn Madeleines:
• 1 ear corn
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Small pinch salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Ratatouille:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onions
• 1/4 cup finely diced red peppers
• 1/4 cup finely diced yellow peppers
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons peeled and finely diced eggplant
• 1/4 cup finely diced zucchini
• 1 beefsteak tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
•  
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche

Make the corn madeleines: heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Grill the corn, turning it every few minutes, until the husks are blackening and the inside of the corn is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Use a pastry brush or your fingers to spread some softened butter into the molds of two 20-cup miniature madeleine pans. (You can also use 1 pan and bake the batter in 2 batches.) Dust the buttered madeleine pans with flour. Set aside.

When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the husks and silk. Use a knife to cut away the kernels. Discard the cob. Purée the roasted corn kernels with the milk in a blender.

Whisk together the egg and the sugar until the mixture becomes white and creamy. Add the puréed corn along with the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk just to combine. Slowly mix in the melted butter.

Fill the molds of the prepared pans with the batter. Set on baking sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.

Make the ratatouille: heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, red peppers, yellow peppers, and garlic until tender but not golden, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini; sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté until most of the moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the basil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Carefully remove the madeleines from the pans.

To serve, place small spoonfuls of ratatouille in canapé spoons, then top each portion with a madeleine. Garnish with a small dollop of crème fraîche and the remaining basil.

Alternately, arrange some madeleines on a serving plate. Top each one with a little ratatouille. Garnish with a small dollop of crème fraîche and the remaining basil.