When I was researching skillet cornbread recipes online, I learned that there are some strong beliefs about what is and isn’t ‘proper’ skillet cornbread. There are lots of heated debates going on on some food blogs!
Some people are purists, saying that it’s made with just cornmeal, buttermilk and egg in a smoking skillet with bacon grease; no wheat flour and no ‘extras’! Others see nothing wrong with adding sugar, corn kernels, jalapeños, avocado, bacon, cheese, honey…
Maybe it’s because I’m not an American from the Deep South, I’m not averse to adding a few extras. I also like slicing it horizontally while it’s still warm and slathering it with butter. Is that wrong or do they do that in Louisiana too?
Skillet cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 fresh jalapeño chilli
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 225 g/8oz fine cornmeal polenta
- 50 g/2oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 corn cob
- 1 egg
- 250 g/9oz buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC
- Finely slice the chilli - do not remove the seeds
- In the skillet, using 1 tbs of the vegetable oil, fry the chopped chilli over a low heat until softened. Remove from the skillet and set aside
- Sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl
- Slice the kernels from the cob and add to the dry mixture
- Add the cooked chilli
- Gently whisk the egg with the buttermilk before adding it to the mixture
- Stir the mixture until well combined
- Heat the skillet with the remaining 1tbs vegetable oil on the stove-top over a high heat
- Add the mixture, using a spatula to spread it evenly in the skillet
- Put the skillet into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top begins to lightly brown
- Allow to cool slightly before slicing & serving