Wild garlic cornbread
This is a classic American cornbread recipe, with added cheese, that gets smothered in garlic butter. Delicious served with
Ingredients
- lard or butter, for greasing
- 250g/9oz medium cornmeal
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
- 400ml/14fl oz buttermilk
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú wild garlic, finely chopped or 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú butter
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú cheddar or other hard cheese, coarsely grated
- 1 tsp salt, divided
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Grease a 23cm/9in square baking tin with the lard.
Put the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly to combine. Lightly mix the eggs into the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture and half of the garlic. Add the cheese and beat together to create a smooth batter.
Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top with a palette knife. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining garlic with the butter and ½ teaspoon of salt. Spread some of this over the cornbread and return to the oven for 5 minutes. The cornbread is done when it is well risen and golden brown with a crust on top.
Spread more of the garlic butter over the cornbread when it comes out of the oven and serve the rest in a small bowl alongside.