[isis]

Hi everyone,

Please can someone share with me a good corn bread recipe! I made it for the first time today and it was well like um.................... I don't know. I don't know what it is supposed to taste like and the texture was very grainy. I didn't enjoy it much with the chilli I made for supper but it was great with butter and marmalade on it as a snack.

It did look similar to the picture in the book tho.

Isis
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If it looks good, feels good and tastes good then it must be good!

[Donna]

Oh Yay! Another post where being raised a southern girl pays off! Corn bread is one of those dishes that's passed down gentically in my family. In fact - even my mother could make good cornbread, and she was definitely culinarily challenged!

I'm not sure what you mean by grainy. If you mean dry - that's not good. You are looking for a nice moist crumb. I often eat my cornbread without butter - it is moist enough to do that. I actually mix my own cornmeal to get the crunchiness that I enjoy in cornbread. I use half polenta - or coarse ground corn meal - and half fine or medium ground corn meal.

Here is my family recipe and some other ideas I've tried over the years:

2 C. corn meal (see above)
1 C. milk
6 Tbsp. butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425º F.

I use an 8" cast iron skillet. I put that in the oven with the butter to melt the butter and heat up the pan (nice crust).

While the butter is melting, mix the cornmeal, baking powder and salt and make a well. Beat the egg into the milk and pour in the well. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork or spatula until it is just blended - DO NOT OVER MIX.

Pour into the skillet and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. It should be lightly browned on top. It should slip easily out of the skillet and you can cool it a little on a rack or serve immediately.

Some changes/additions -

You can add cheddar cheese and creamed corn

Some people add chopped green chilis and cheese when they serve it with chili. (I don't know if I'd go with jalapenos, unless you have an amazing constitution and know that everyone who will be eating it can manage that.)

Instead of milk, you can use yoghurt - it gives it a little tartness - very subtle.

Some people add a little sugar - I don't care for it.

So, enjoy! I hope you come up with a batch you are happy with!
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L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais

[isis]

Thanks Donna,

I will try it tomorrow when I heat up the chilli again.

My effort was definatly not a nice moist crumb. It wasn't exactly dry either. It was crunchy on the outside. I think I may of over mixed it.

I like the idea of putting cheese in the mix. My recipe called for buttermilk and had oil instead of butter.

Isis
_________________
If it looks good, feels good and tastes good then it must be good!

[Donna]

Hi Isis - Keeep me posted on how it turns out!



Donna
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L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais