Southern Spoon Bread

0 Preheat oven to 350℉.
1 Generously grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2 Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a bowl of a stand mixer.
3 Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
4 Stir the cornmeal and 1 cup of the evaporated milk together until smooth in another bowl
5 Set aside.
6 Add the remaining 2 cups of evaporated milk to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge and it steams. Do not let it boil.
7 Turn the heat to medium-low.
8 Add the cornmeal-milk mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes thick, about 10 minutes.
9 Remove from heat.
10 Whisk in the salt and butter.
11 Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition to ensure the eggs don't curdle.
12 Gently fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg white remain.
13 Spoon the batter into the buttered baking dish and smooth the top.
14 Bake until the spoonbread is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. An instant read thermomter inserted just off center should read 160F.
15 Serve immediately with plenty of butter. I like it with maple syrup!