My version of corn “cake” is pure corn. There’s no flour, eggs, or any other binding element—the natural juices of the corn are starchy enough to hold everything together as a tender, custardy whole.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　6 to 8 large ears of corn, husks and silks removed

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　1 lime, cut into wedges

　　Kosher salt

　　Cayenne pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 2

Grate 1 ear of corn on the large holes of a box grater over a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Grate until you reach the cob, catching all of the kernels and the corn juices in the skillet. Repeat with the remaining ears until you have an even 1 1/2-inch-thick layer of grated corn.

　　

Step 3

Bake until a yellow skin develops on the surface, about 15 minutes; the top should not brown.

　　

Step 4

Remove from the oven and dot the surface with the butter. When the butter has melted, squeeze the juice from 1 lime wedge on top and season with salt and cayenne. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve warm with the remaining lime wedges.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.