Cast Iron Cornbread


Cast-Iron Cornbread

What to do with a rumbling belly and a cast-iron skillet full of all sorts of pork drippings? The logical answer seemed to be cornbread. 

I pretty much love eating cornbread and corn casseroles at potlucks, but can't seem to master recreating them myself.  I've tried so many cornbread recipes I can't keep them straight. It seems like such an easy thing - a combo that shouldn't be too easily screwed up by bursts of creativity - but alas, cornbread is not my specialty. 

So I heated the skillet and pulled my husband's gigantic, first-edition Prudhomme Family Cookbook from the shelf.  Of the choices listed in the index, I decided to go with "Bobby's" (mostly because it was listed first, alphabetically). The result was more than satisfactory and paired nicely with the soupy black-eyed peas I'd preserved in the freezer months ago. The bread cooked while the peas thawed and lunch was served in less than 30 minutes. If only I'd remembered the mustard greens hiding the bottom drawer of the fridge...  

Here's Bobby's recipe in a nutshell:

Heat your cast-iron skillet on high for 2 min.  Add 6 T vegetable oil (I used the leftover grease already in the pan plus some) and heat for two more minutes. Remove from heat and set the pan aside. 

Mix together 2 c. yellow cornmeal, 1.5 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 T. baking powder, 2 t. baking soda (I would reduce to 1.5), and 1.5 t. salt. 

In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup milk, 5 T. melted butter (I used bacon grease) and 3 large eggs.

Mix the wet with the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Then fold in the hot oil from the cast-iron skillet.  Don't over mix it.  Place the skillet over low heat and pour in the batter. 

Transfer to a 450 degree oven and bake until brown around the edges - about 18 minutes. Remove and immediately turn the cornbread over onto a plate.  Makes 8-10 servings or 9 cups of crumbles.

January 31st, 2013, contributed by Rebecca


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