Cornbread



My first food memory is sitting in a high chair as a toddler, eating mashed up blackeyed peas and cornbread, and asking my great-uncle, “Potlikker, Joey?”  (Potlikker is the cooking liquid from the blackeyed peas).  I still like blackeyed peas, cornbread, and potlikker mixed together.  Cornbread is equally good dunked in pinto beans or any kind of stew or soup.  The following recipe is the one used in ninth grade homemaking class, with a few tweaks.  The secret to a good, crunchy crust is a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.  I have my grandmother’s cast iron skillet, and I feel a connection with her and my mother every time I use it. 

Cast iron skillet - the secret to a crispy crust!

CORNBREAD

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

2 cups buttermilk (scant - a bit less than 2 cups but more than 1-3/4 cups)

3 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a meduim sized bowl. In another bowl, beat egg, buttermilk, and 1 tablespoon cooking oil.

Pour 2 tablespoons cooking oil in 10 inch cast iron skillet and swirl around to coat skillet. Place skillet in preheated oven and heat until oil is hot – a couple of minutes. Don’t let oil smoke or over heat!

While the skillet is heating, add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with wire whisk until well blended; do not overbeat.  Pour into hot skillet; the batter should sizzle around the edges. Bake until brown, 25 to 30 minutes.



Batter in cast iron skillet, ready to bake.

Variations: If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use a prepared 7x10 baking pan. To prepare pan, coat with shortening, or use nonstick pan spray. The sugar may be omitted; with sugar, the cornbread's texture is more moist and cake-like. Leaving out the sugar results in a more crumbly product, which may be more desirable for dunking in beans or stew.