Isaac Wingfield > wrote in
:
> In article >,
> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>> (Alex Rast) wrote in
>> :
>>
>> > Here's a recipe I perfected today for cornbread that has no wheat
>> > flour, only cornmeal. It comes out somewhat cakey, mildly sweet
>> > (not candylike) - exactly what I expect of cornbread.
>> >
>> > This is a great recipe for those times when you accidentally leave
>> > a carton of milk in the fridge that one too many days, or were
>> > hoping it might survive a couple of days longer, but didn't,
>> > because it calls for sour milk. Don't try this, however, if your
>> > milk was ultra-pasteurized: I don't think it'll work with that, in
>> > fact, I don't believe (people who use it frequently, correct me if
>> > this is not so) that it ever goes sour at all. Also don't try it if
>> > the milk has gone beyond sour into the cheesey stage.
>>
>> You are correct. It simply spoils and never really goes through a
>> "sour" stage.
>>
>> >
>> > Cornbread
>> >
>> > 2 cups cornmeal
>> > 2 cups sour milk
>> > 3 eggs
>> > 2 tbsp butter
>> > 1 tsp baking soda
>> > 1 tsp salt
>> >
>> > Preheat oven to 450F. Thoroughly butter a heavy cast-iron pan. A
>> > 10" skillet is ideal.
>> >
>> > Mix cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until fully
>> > blended. Cut butter in until the mixture is fairly uniform. In a
>> > separate bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or mixer until they are
>> > frothy and pale yellow. Put the pan in the oven and allow it to
>> > heat until it is nearly smoking.
>> >
>> > At this point, quickly beat the eggs into the cornmeal, then the
>> > sour milk, then pour the entire batter into the pan and set in the
>> > oven quickly. After about 5 minutes, turn the oven down to 400
>> > without opening the door. Bake for another 25 minutes or so, until
>> > the top is dark, uniform brown. Remove and cool.
>> >
>> > This cornbread is delicious eaten warm - simply wait for about
>> > 5 minutes or so, until it cools to edible temperature, then cut
>> > into wedges. Or cool all the way if you prefer it at room
>> > temperature.
>>
>> Alex,
>>
>> This is exactly the way that I and my family (back to grandmother)
>> have been making cornbread for generations
>
> --snip--
>
> And ours.
>
> Try cooking it in a cast-iron skillet for a wonderful crust.
>
> Here's our family recipe, from Arkansas:
>
> 1-1/2 C corn meal (white or yellow)
> 1 t baking soda
> 1 t salt
> 1 egg
> 2 C buttermilk ("fake" buttermilk, from adding vinegar to fresh milk,
> will work too)
>
> Mix thoroughly. The batter will be thin. Important: mix just before
> the pan is ready, or the baking soda will be "all foamed out".
>
> In hot oven (400 F), heat heavy pan (I use a cast-iron skillet) with 2
> T bacon fat (anything else is _not_authentic_) until almost smoking.
> Add batter and bake until brown. When the bread pulls away from the
> sides of the pan, it's probably ready. Test it with a toothpick.
>
> --
>
> For New Year's Day, we always cook up a "mess" of black-eyed peas
> (really beans). Don't forget to put a hamhock or a piece of salt pork
> in with the peas, and make a pan of cornbread.
>
> To serve, slice a piece of cornbread through the middle and open it up
> on the plate. Then spoon the peas over, including as much "juice" as
> you like.
>
> Note: Black-eyed peas cook a *lot* faster than most other kinds of
> dried beans. A couple or three hours will do it, with *no*
> pre-soaking. If you cook them too long, they'll turn to mush.
>
> Isaac
>
Isaac, this sounds great, too! One question, though... When I have
added more milk than cornmeal to my batter, the bread seems to test
done, but it almost always sticks to the pan. I use a sizzling hot
skillet. The bottom is crust, but still sticks in a couple of spots.
With an equal amount of milk and meal, or even slightly less so of milk,
I never had that problem. I'd like to try your version but I'm leery of
it sticking. What do you think might be the problem?
I'm a great fan of black-eyed peas spooned over a hot split wedge of
cornbread! Delicious!!! I also always slosh a bit of homemade
"pepper-sauce" on top. I sometimes use a hunk of bacon if I can't get
the hamhock or salt pork.
Wayne (whose family is from NE MS)