Skillet Cornbread

 

T and I try to dedicate a day a week for date night…well it has not been very successful as of late. We finally had a free night the other day after a tough day in the garage. You see…we are currently fixing his mom’s Cadillac sts blown head gasket. If any of you car nerds know what I am preaching about, it is not funny matter. Although we managed to take the engine out of the car in about a day, and step by step we have gotten through the intake manifold and into the cam shafts. Nearly there!! Anyway, we don’t have a usual spot for dinner but we both love the steaks at gibbet hill grill in Groton. The atmosphere is casual, drinks are solid and they let their meat do the talking. Another reason why we go is for their cornbread. It comes in a bucket, still warm and steamy with a sweet butter. It’s tender, moist, crumbly and a touch sweet…we love it so much that we consume one serving…then ask for another to be packed home…trust me…it is not shunned upon! 

 

But to save the embarrassment I decided to make my own at home. I looked at a few recipes online and on the back of my cornmeal can and kind of made a rendition of my own. I like that a skillet is used for my cornbread because of the unbelievable crust it makes as it bakes. And I like a sweeter cornbread but I do add quite a bit of salt to balance it off. And the best thing about this is the fact that it takes only seconds to prepare and under twenty minutes to bake. Perfect for our quick lunch of tonkatsu sandwiches and steamy cornbread. An odd but comforting mix.

Skillet Cornbread

*you will need a 10” cast-iron skillet

1 ½ C cornmeal

½ C flour

1/2 C + 2 T sugar

1 T salt

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 egg

1 ½ C buttermilk (or like me 1 ½ C of 2% milk with 1 T vinegar)

½ C butter (melted)

2 T butter (for skillet)

Preheat oven to 450F and place your skillet in.

Combine dry ingredients with a whisk and set aside.

Whisk together egg, buttermilk, and ½ C melted butter.

Take the skillet out of the oven

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine thoroughly

Drop 2 T of butter into the skillet and hear it sizzle and watch it melt. Pour the batter in immediately and bake for 18 minutes.

It should be golden brown and come out clean with a few moist crumbs when a toothpick is inserted.

Let it sit for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Serve with honey..butter..jam..whatever you like!