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Savory skillet cornbread with cheddar and roasted peppers

Verdict: Good.

One cast iron skillet · Source: our own, built from several skillet cornbread recipes and pushed toward more peppers and cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 pasilla chiles
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus a small pat for the skillet
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2¼ cups grated sharp cheddar (2 cups for the batter, ¼ cup for the top)
  • 3 jalapeños

Method

  1. The night before, whisk 1 cup cornmeal with 1 cup buttermilk until no dry spots remain. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Turn the broiler to high. Broil the 3 pasillas on a sheet pan, turning every few minutes, until charred on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Put them in a bowl, cover tightly and steam 10 minutes. Peel, remove the seeds and stems, and dice.
  3. Heat the oven to 400°F with the cast iron skillet inside.
  4. Melt 6 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it foams, turns golden and smells nutty, 4 to 5 minutes.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda and ¾ tsp salt.
  6. Beat 2 eggs into the soaked cornmeal, then stir in the browned butter.
  7. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in 2 cups cheddar, the diced pasillas and 3 diced jalapeños, seeds in for more heat.
  8. Take the hot skillet out, add a small pat of butter and swirl to coat. Pour in the batter and scatter ¼ cup cheddar on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and 200 to 209°F in the centre.
  9. Rest 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with fried eggs, bacon, butter or hot sauce.

Notes

  • Go by the internal temperature. It can pass the toothpick test while still soft inside.
  • Soak only the cornmeal overnight. A fully mixed batter loses its lift by morning.