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Southern Corn Bread Southern corn bread isn't sweet,
and it isn't light and fluffy.
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Ingredients:
2
cups regular cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup buttermilk (or add a tablespoon of vinegar to
regular milk!)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, or scant 1/2 cup
vegetable oil (or a mixture)
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with PAM or equivalent.
Place the cornmeal and flour in a large bowl and stir in the milks a little at a time, mixing with a large wooden spoon. The batter will be quite loose.
Add the butter or oil into the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine. Add the egg and stir to combine. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the pan and immediately place it in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and unmold. Serve hot.
Makes 6 to 8 side dish servings.
Optional Directions:
Some people perfer to use an iron skillet
because it makes the outer crust more interesting. I don't
have a skillet, but here's how I'm told it should be used in
place of the baking pan.
Put the oil into the skillet and put the skillet into the oven until the oil is hot -- about 5 minutes. Now drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil into the corn bread mixture. Finish mixing the corn bread mixture and then pour it into the skillet. Return the skillet to the oven and bake as above. Of course traditional southern cooks would use bacon fat instead of oil.