Corn bread with bacon

Name: Corn bread with bacon
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 100g plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 275g cornmeal or fine polenta; 1 tbsp castor sugar; 1 tsp salt; 3 rashers bacon, diced; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 2 tbsp melted butter; 300ml buttermilk

March 19, 2014

Take your brunch southern-style with this simple corn bread recipe.Edwina Pickles

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourMakes:4-6

This buttery, golden bread is made from cornmeal (stoneground corn) - one of the more delicious staples of America's southern cuisine and goes beautifully with smoky barbecued meats, jalapeno chillies, southern fried chicken or chicken gravy. You can use fine polenta (not instant), as stoneground cornmeal is hard to find in Australia. Cook in a cast-iron skillet that can go from cook-top to oven to table.

Ingredients

100g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
275g cornmeal or fine polenta
1 tbsp castor sugar
1 tsp salt
3 rashers bacon, diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter
300ml buttermilk

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the cornmeal, sugar and salt, and mix well.
2. Heat a 20-centimetre-wide cast-iron skillet (or equivalent heat-proof and oven-proof pan) over medium heat and cook the diced bacon until it starts to crisp. Set aside half of the bacon.
3. Whisk the egg with the melted butter and buttermilk until smooth, then fold into the dry ingredients until it just comes together.
4. Pour into the hot skillet, scatter remaining bacon on top, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Note If you don't have a skillet, fold the diced fried bacon through the batter and bake in a well-buttered 20cm x 10cm loaf tin or four individual pie tins or souffle dishes.