Cornbread

I like eating cornbread and have made a few versions from different chefs recipes. In HFW's recipe, he has given a few variations like adding chilli, sweetcorn, spring onions and cheddar. Even diced chrorizo, chopped olives, mushrooms and fresh herbs.

To his original recipe, I have added some fresh chives from my garden pot, two each of jalapenos and red chillies, which are deseeded and chopped.

The Cornbread bakes up moist, soft and very tasty. I like the heat from the red chillies and jalapenos.


Cornbread
(River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnleyt-Whittingstall)
Makes 12 pieces
125gm cornmeal or fine polenta (or use half fine and half coarse polenta for a crunchier texture)
125gm plain white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 medium eggs
1 tablespoon runny honey or soft brown sugar
150gm buttermilk (or plain whole-milk yoghurt)
150ml whole milk
25gm unsalted butter, melted

Grease a 23cm square baking tin, about 4cm deep.

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the middle.

Whisk together the eggs, honey or sugar, buttermilk or yoghurt, milk and melted butter. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients and stir until everything is just combined. Don't overmix; a few lumps in the batter are fine. You need to get it into the oven as quickly as possible once the bicarbonate of soda and buttermilk start reacting.

Pour the batter into the baking tin and place in an oven preheated to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and has shrunk slightly from the sides of the tin. Place the tin on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes before cutting the bread into squares. Serve warm.