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Created by Chef Remy
Golden, crusty-edged cornbread baked in a blazing hot cast iron skillet, the buttermilk tang playing against a whisper of sweetness while the bottom develops that shatteringly crisp crust that makes you fight for the corner pieces.
Cast iron cornbread is not negotiable in a Louisiana kitchen. My grandmother Evangeline kept her skillet seasoned with decades of bacon fat, and when that pan came out of the oven, the edges were lacquered and crackling, the center soft as a cloud. That's the bayou way.
The secret lives in the hot fat. You preheat your skillet with butter until it shimmers and just starts to brown, then pour in the batter. Listen for that sizzle. That's the sound of the crust forming before the bread even hits the oven. At Lagniappe, we go through cases of cornmeal every week, and every batch gets made this way.
Now here's what most folks miss: good cornbread needs balance. You want enough sugar to take the raw edge off the cornmeal, but not so much you're eating cake. The buttermilk brings tang and tenderness. The eggs bind everything together. And that bacon dripping or butter in the hot skillet? That's the magic that makes the bottom crust shatter when you cut into it.
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
Quantity
1/2 cup
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
Quantity
1 1/3 cups
at room temperature
Quantity
2
at room temperature
Quantity
4 tablespoons
melted and slightly cooled
Quantity
3 tablespoons
for the skillet
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fine yellow cornmeal | 1 1/2 cups |
| all-purpose flour | 1/2 cup |
| granulated sugar | 2 tablespoons |
| baking powder | 1 tablespoon |
| baking soda | 1/2 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
| buttermilkat room temperature | 1 1/3 cups |
| large eggsat room temperature | 2 |
| unsalted buttermelted and slightly cooled | 4 tablespoons |
| bacon drippings or unsalted butterfor the skillet | 3 tablespoons |
Set your oven to 425 degrees and place your 10-inch cast iron skillet inside while it heats. The skillet needs to be screaming hot when the batter goes in. This is the whole secret to that legendary crust. Give it a full twenty minutes to heat through.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne. The cayenne is just a whisper, enough to give the bread some personality without any real heat. Make sure there are no lumps of baking powder hiding in there. They'll leave bitter spots in your finished bread.
In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs until smooth and uniform. The buttermilk should be at room temperature so it doesn't shock the leavening. Add the melted butter in a slow stream while whisking. The butter might seize up a little from the cold buttermilk, and that's fine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon just until everything comes together. You'll see some small lumps, and that's exactly right. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes tough cornbread. Stop the moment you don't see dry streaks. The batter should be thick but pourable.
Carefully remove your blazing hot skillet from the oven using heavy oven mitts. Add the bacon drippings or butter, swirling to coat the bottom and sides completely. The fat should shimmer and just begin to brown. You'll smell it turn nutty. That browned butter flavor bakes right into the crust.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Listen for that aggressive sizzle as it hits the fat. That's the bottom crust forming instantly. The batter will set around the edges almost immediately. Smooth the top gently with a spatula if needed, but work fast. Get it back in the oven within thirty seconds.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The edges should be dark golden brown, almost bronze, and pulling away slightly from the skillet. The surface will have small cracks and look dry to the touch.
Let the cornbread rest in the skillet for five minutes. The crust will continue to crisp as it sits. Run a butter knife around the edge to loosen, then invert onto a cutting board or serve straight from the iron. Cut into wedges and get them to the table while they're still warm. A pat of soft butter on each piece never hurt anyone.
1 serving (about 90g)
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