Cornbread

I have covered a few slightly controversial food topics on this blog. While we’re not talking politics or religion, people have some very specific feelings about mayonnaise, chili, and pizza, to name a few. But those do not hold a candle to the divisiveness which is cornbread. Perhaps you are not aware, but cornbread has divided the United States like nothing has since the Civil War. Southerners declare northern cornbread to be glorified cake. Northerns find southern cornbread to be, well, bland. Mark Twain reportedly and famously stated: “Perhaps no bread in the world is quite as good as Southern cornbread and perhaps no bread is quite so bad as the Northern imitation of it.” We are talking some 19th Century, Hatfield and McCoy’s trash-talk right there.

As an objective Canadian, without any skin in the game, my preferences tend towards the Southern variety. I prefer my cornbread made using only cornmeal, no flour. The cornmeal should have a bit of heft and grit to it as well. I use Bob’s Red Mill, medium grind cornmeal, which is sold at Loblaws and online. Cornbread must be cooked in a pre-heated, cast iron skillet, so that the bottom crisps up and creates a lovely crust. Buttermilk in the place of regular milk adds some tang and depth of flavour. I do include some sugar (despite Southern protestations), but just enough to sweeten without overpowering. Lastly, I enjoy chopped up jalapeno peppers, but you can feel free to omit them if you are not a fan of spice.

Cornbread

10 Tbsp of butter, divided
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal
2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 ts baking powder (non-aluminum)
1/4 tsp salt
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place an 9-inch cast iron skilled in the oven to preheat.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, baking powder, and salt and whisk lightly.

Combine 8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) of butter, milk, cornmeal, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a slow simmer, and whisk until thickened. Once thickened, remove from the heat. Add a small amount of the cornmeal mixture to the bowl and whisk. [This prevents the eggs from cooking] Add the remaining cornmeal mixture and stir until well combined. Add the diced jalapeno pepper if using.

Once the oven is heated, remove the cast iron skillet and add the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter. Swirl the butter around so it coats the skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden and slightly crispy on the edges and cooked through.