Skillet Cornbread

Living in Seattle has opened my eyes to many culinary traditions.  One of my favorites is Southern U.S. cooking.  Exploring that culinary region is like inverting Midwest comfort food.  In the Midwest many of our beloved dishes come baked in a casserole dish.  In the south they retreat to their barbecues and stove tops; many dishes are made in a stockpot, on the grill, or in a skillet. 

I didn't grow up eating cornbread.  With Wisconsin being predominately German and Norwegian we had rye, potato, and cheese breads, as well as loaves of white sandwich breads.  The former paired well with meats, potatoes, and casseroles; the latter with bologna and cheese. 

In Seattle I began experimenting with different foods, and in the past eleven years I have vastly increased my cooking repertoire.  Cornbread has made its way into my life, and more specifically: skillet cornbread.  It is what I want whenever I make chili, butternut squash soup, or chowder; it is a wonderful accompaniment to any blustery night.

My recipe was adapted from Greg Atkinson’s book West Coast Cooking.  Atkinson explains west coast cooking “represents both the oldest and the newest trends of the nation.”    

A note about oil: we have been using grapeseed oil and avocado oil as our primary cooking oils.  grapeseed oil is high in polyunsaturated fat, and avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fat; both oils are better than olive oil for cooking at high heat, and healthier than canola oil. 

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 cup whole grain cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup grapeseed oil, plus 2 tablespoons for the skillet

1 cup half and half

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the preheating oven while the batter is being prepared.  In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.  In a smaller bowl whisk together the egg and sugar, and then add 1/3 cup oil, then whisk in the half and half.  Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, and then fold in the corn; stir only enough to combine the ingredients.  

Using a hot pad remove the skillet from the oven.  Add 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl it into the pan.  Scrape the batter into the skillet, and if needed use a knife or a mini offset spatula to nudge the batter to the edges.  Bake the cornbread for 15 minutes.  Cut it into wedges, and serve it hot with your favorite soup, chili, or stew.