Skillet cornbread

When I was a kid, we spent every summer in Vancouver, B.C. with my mother's vast extended family. A week or two of each summer was spent at White Rock, a beach community on the British Columbia coast. At some point the entire family would descend on White Rock and the food would begin to flow from the kitchen of whatever place we were renting. Always there was a chili feed. And the aunts would bring their cast iron skillets for the wedges and wedges of cornbread that would be needed to go with the chili.

It's one of the few recipes I didn't manage to acquire, but this one is close enough to make no never mind. Slathered with butter and honey, this is comfort food for me, especially with chili.




* 2 cups yellow cornmeal
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 tablespoons sugar, optional
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or shortening, for skillet
* 2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
* 1/4 cup melted butter
* melted butter for brushing top

Preheat oven to 425F. Place 1 tablespoon shortening or oil in 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet. Put skillet in oven to preheat.

Mix cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a large bowl. Beat together eggs, milk and 1/4 cup melted butter in separate bowl. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and stir together until just about smooth. Carefully remove skillet from oven and swirl oil or melted shortening around bottom and sides. Pour batter into skillet, then return to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Brush top of baked cornbread with a bit of melted butter.

Let rest for a few minutes, then cut into wedges and serve with butter and honey.