Southern Cornbread

The key to making good Southern Cornbread is in the pan. While you can make it in a baking pan or dish, it's just not going to taste the same as made in a cast iron skillet. Something about the cast iron (which is good for you and makes your blood stronger) allows for enough air circulation so that the cornbread gets that crispy, crunchy crust that is the signature of Southern Cornbread.

To make Southern Cornbread you'll need:

• 2 cups self rising cornmeal (yellow is better)
• 1 TBS sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBS cooking oil (or bacon grease)
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 3 TBS butter (or margarine) - goes in the cast iron pan and not in the batter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. You can go ahead and put the 3 TBS of butter (margarine) in the pan and stick that in the oven to melt. Just watch and make sure you don't scorch the butter.

Measure out the cornmeal and add the TBS of sugar on top. It does not have to be mixed before it's poured in later.

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In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs a bit. Add the cooking oil and milk. Mix that well.

Now, add the cornmeal with sugar to the mixing bowl and stir. At this point, you don't want to stir a whole lot, or the bread will be tough. Just stir with a spoon or fork until the cornmeal lumps are broken up and mixed in.

If you were heating the butter in the pan, it should be ready at this time. If you didn't, then melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, take the pan out, shake it around carefully to coat the surface pretty evenly.

Spoon the Southern Cornbread batter into the hot cast iron pan. Some of the butter will come up over the edges and make a ring, which is fine and gives it a great taste.

Stick the pan back in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

I use the 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe. If the pan is smaller, you may want to cut the ingredients down. If you're using a bigger skillet, then that's fine, but you'll want to cook for a shorter time as the bread is not as thick.

This recipe is also good for muffins or for bread sticks. Both shapes also come in cast iron versions.

Posted via email from kleerstreem's posterous