Recipe Background
Skillet Cornbread: a crispy-edged classic, perfect for new beginnings.
The first time I made skillet cornbread, I was on the cusp of a new adventure: moving into my first post-divorce apartment. As boxes crowded the living room, I ached for comfort, something familiar yet symbolically fresh. A canister of cornmeal had survived the move, tucked among a few essentials. I remembered how my grandmother’s cornbread was always a staple at family gatherings, the perfect kind of sturdy yet tender to match anything from stews to spiced honey drizzles.
On that moving day, after wrestling the cast-iron skillet from the last box, I kept it in the oven to preheat. Watching the milk soften the cornmeal, the scent was like calm in my slightly jumbled world. Whisking eggs, a splash of melted butter, and then the upheaval of cornmeal and flour brought a smile—simple ingredients weaving together so smoothly. I tossed a tablespoon of vegetable oil into the piping-hot skillet, giving it a quick swirl, ensuring that irresistible crispy edge. Letting the golden crust rest five minutes, I learned, kept the slices neat and inviting.
That first bite in my new space, as I sat on the still bare floors, was both grounding and liberating, each crumb symbolizing new beginnings. The cornbread was more than just warm solace; it was the opening line to a chapter of renewal, a mix of nostalgia and survival, seasoned with a hint of independence.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Put a 9-inch cast-iron pan into the oven to warm while the oven is preheating. This helps form the ideal crust texture.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal and the milk. Set it aside to soak for about 10 minutes.
- Sift together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the cornmeal-milk mixture, the eggs, and the butter to the flour mixture and beat for about 1 minute or until the batter has a smooth consistency.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven.
- Add the vegetable oil to the skillet and swirl until the oil fully coats the bottom and up the sides.
- Pour out any excess oil.
- Pour the batter into the skillet.
- Place the skillet back in the oven and bake the cornbread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18 to 23 minutes.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven and cut it into wedges.
- Serve.
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