We made Anson Mills’ Carolina Gold Rice and with soupy Sea Island Red Peas, so I thought a skillet cornbread would be the perfect accompaniment. I used the organic, stone-milled red corn from Locke’s Mill in Berryville, Va. This cornbread recipe is vegetarian, but you could substitute the vegetable shortening with bacon grease or rendered leaf lard. The pure and persistent corn flavor in this bread was a revelation. The almost purple color of the freshly milled, coarse corn flour resulted in a beautiful brown colored cornbread. Unique and delicious!
Yields one 10-inch cornbread
INGREDIENTS
3 TB vegetable shortening + 2 TB unsalted butter (half for the pan, half for the batter)
2 cups coarse ground cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups buttermilk
PROCEDURE
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the 10” cast iron skillet into the oven.
Combine the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs and the buttermilk, but be careful not to overmix.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add the vegetable shortening and butter. Swirl the pan to melt the fat and coat the bottom of the skillet.
Pour the excess melted fat into the batter and mix in.
Pour the batter into the prepared skillet (the skillet should be extremely hot!) and place it in the center of the oven. Bake until the center is just firm and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
NOTE: This cornbread was delicious also for breakfast the next morning. Cut a wedge of cornbread in half across the equator, and toast it in melted butter in a skillet on the stovetop. Top with melted butter, or for a decadent breakfast, stracchino cheese and a dollop of your favorite jam.
