Cornbread is both comfort food and gourmet delight
By Kyle Valentini
April 19, 2011
421
Summary: Cornbread gets a crisp buttery edge when baked in a cast-iron skillet. Dressed up or down, cornbread can serve as both comfort food and a gourmet delight when paired with herbs. Try this recipe or one that has been passed down in the family for generations.
Cornbread can be sweet or savory. Its peasant food at its finest and can be paired with soups and stews or drowned in a pool of maple syrup and butter for a delicious snack or breakfast. Everyone who makes cornbread has a recipe that was probably passed down a generation or two or three.
The secret to good cornbread, really good cornbread is the familiar workhorse called the cast-iron skillet. Cornbread made in any other pan will simply nor compare to the taste, texture and crumb that is delivered in a cast-iron skillet. Baking cornbread in cast-iron imparts a crispy, buttery edge that is simply delicious.
Sometimes called Johnnycake, hoecake, journey cake and cornpone, cornbread made in a cast iron skillet gets its roots in the south. Relatively easy to make and requiring few ingredients, cornbread has been enjoyed for generations. Ever region has their own way of making cornbread but the southerners get the most credit.
We all know early American settlers would have starved to death had it not been for the Native Americans teaching them how to grind and use corn in cooking. Cornbread was a perfect food because it could be carried on long journeys without spoiling.
Nowadays cornbread is enjoyed in its simplest form and dressed up to appease the foodies who see food as an art form as much as sustenance.
When asked if one prefers sweet or savory, the consensus is generally both, depending on what it is served with. Nathan Mushrush, chef and owner of The New Peter Shears in downtown Canton said, Both......both! It has and upper lip appeal in the worlds of both spectrums. Mostly a gastro shadow places it truly one dimensional, but surely it can be hypnotized to host the bounty of floral, savory and sweet. Splice with malt or even molasses for a raw appeal. Orange blossom honey and thyme adds such a kinship that grabs at roasted shallots and ice wine-bloomed dried strawberries!
Whether served cornbread at a fine dining restaurant or a greasy spoon diner, it has a taste and texture that pleases the palettes of nearly everyone. So simple to make and so easy to adapt with the addition of herbs, jalapenos, green onions or orange rind, cornbread can easily be prepared by even the novice in the kitchen. The only way cornbread should not be prepared is from a box.
Here is a simple recipe that can be altered to suit your tastes.
Cornbread
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2-4 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
Cooking spray
4 tablespoons butter
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a small bowl, stir the baking soda into the buttermilk.
4. Spray a nine inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Put the skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter, and heat until the butter melts and is starting to sizzle. Tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and quickly stir together, using only as many strokes as needed to combine. Scrape the batter into the hot, buttery skillet. Immediately put the skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.
