Skillet Cornbread---- need recipie



Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Wed 08 Feb 2006 09:28:01p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Isaac
> Wingfield?
>
>
>>In article <[email protected]>, "Ron G" <[email protected]>
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hi--
>>>My MIL (now deceased) used to make cornbread on top of the stove, in a
>>>cast iron skillet.
>>>It seemed to have a nice crispy top to it, was not gooey moist in the
>>>center, yet not dried out.
>>>Just right, just a slab of butter on top, and it was super good.
>>>
>>>I'm about as newbie cook as you've ever met, but I would like to make
>>>this for me and my wife (her daughter).
>>>It would be a great "memory trip" for both of us.
>>>
>>>
>>>Are any cornbread box stuff any good at the grocery store?
>>>Or is home-made the best from scratch?
>>>Does it need a cover on the skillet to cook right but not end up gooey
>>>soft (I like kinda crusty crunchy top).
>>>Any good recipies, and tips or proceedures to make it come out good?

>>
>>This is not stovetop, but I like it. It's from my Arkansas grandmother,
>>and in the southern sytle, it has no sugar. That makes it great not only
>>for eating, but also for making cornbread dressing.
>>
>>On New Year's day, it's nice to split open a piece and top it with
>>black-eye peas cooked with a ham hock -- and don't forget a good dollop
>>of the "pot liquor" from the peas.
>>
>>Corn Bread
>>
>>1-1/2 C corn meal (white or yellow)
>>1 t baking soda
>>1 t salt
>>1 egg
>>2 C buttermilk ("fake" buttermilk, from adding vinegar to fresh milk,
>>will work too)
>>
>>Mix thoroughly. The batter will be thin. Mix just before the pan is
>>ready.
>>
>>In hot oven (400 F), heat heavy pan (I use a cast-iron skillet) with 2 T
>>bacon fat (anything else is _not_authentic_) until almost smoking. Add
>>batter and bake until brown. When the bread pulls away from the sides of
>>the pan, it's probably ready. Test it with a toothpick.

>
>
> And very like my Mississippi grandmother's recipe. Best cornbread I've
> ever eaten or made.
>

Sub 2 cups yellow cornmeal versus 1 1/2 cups and 2 well beaten eggs and
it's what my Okie mama made. It's also a recipe from our first Betty
Crocker cookbook from 1960. Only cornbread I will eat. Very good in a
bowl with sweet milk (as opposed to buttermilk) on it with some chopped
onion and black pepper. Good supper. We cook it for 20 minutes in a 450F
oven in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Fried on the bottom, moist in the
middle and brown on top. My wife is a Yankee and she prefers it with
molasses poured over it. You can add crisp bacon pieces or, better yet,
pork cracklings and then bake and it's outstanding. Southern comfort at
its best.

George
 
On Thu 09 Feb 2006 11:55:08a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it George
Shirley?

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Wed 08 Feb 2006 09:28:01p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Isaac
>> Wingfield?
>>
>>
>>>In article <[email protected]>, "Ron G" <[email protected]>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi--
>>>>My MIL (now deceased) used to make cornbread on top of the stove, in a
>>>>cast iron skillet.
>>>>It seemed to have a nice crispy top to it, was not gooey moist in the
>>>>center, yet not dried out.
>>>>Just right, just a slab of butter on top, and it was super good.
>>>>
>>>>I'm about as newbie cook as you've ever met, but I would like to make
>>>>this for me and my wife (her daughter).
>>>>It would be a great "memory trip" for both of us.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Are any cornbread box stuff any good at the grocery store?
>>>>Or is home-made the best from scratch?
>>>>Does it need a cover on the skillet to cook right but not end up gooey
>>>>soft (I like kinda crusty crunchy top).
>>>>Any good recipies, and tips or proceedures to make it come out good?
>>>
>>>This is not stovetop, but I like it. It's from my Arkansas grandmother,
>>>and in the southern sytle, it has no sugar. That makes it great not only
>>>for eating, but also for making cornbread dressing.
>>>
>>>On New Year's day, it's nice to split open a piece and top it with
>>>black-eye peas cooked with a ham hock -- and don't forget a good dollop
>>>of the "pot liquor" from the peas.
>>>
>>>Corn Bread
>>>
>>>1-1/2 C corn meal (white or yellow)
>>>1 t baking soda
>>>1 t salt
>>>1 egg
>>>2 C buttermilk ("fake" buttermilk, from adding vinegar to fresh milk,
>>>will work too)
>>>
>>>Mix thoroughly. The batter will be thin. Mix just before the pan is
>>>ready.
>>>
>>>In hot oven (400 F), heat heavy pan (I use a cast-iron skillet) with 2 T
>>>bacon fat (anything else is _not_authentic_) until almost smoking. Add
>>>batter and bake until brown. When the bread pulls away from the sides of
>>>the pan, it's probably ready. Test it with a toothpick.

>>
>>
>> And very like my Mississippi grandmother's recipe. Best cornbread I've
>> ever eaten or made.
>>

> Sub 2 cups yellow cornmeal versus 1 1/2 cups and 2 well beaten eggs and
> it's what my Okie mama made. It's also a recipe from our first Betty
> Crocker cookbook from 1960. Only cornbread I will eat. Very good in a
> bowl with sweet milk (as opposed to buttermilk) on it with some chopped
> onion and black pepper. Good supper. We cook it for 20 minutes in a 450F
> oven in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Fried on the bottom, moist in the
> middle and brown on top. My wife is a Yankee and she prefers it with
> molasses poured over it. You can add crisp bacon pieces or, better yet,
> pork cracklings and then bake and it's outstanding. Southern comfort at
> its best.


Actually, George, when I said similar to the previous recipe, the
difference makes it just like yours, with 2 cups of meal, 2 eggs, and baked
exactly the same way. I've never liked sweet milk, though, not even to
drink, so when I have it with milk, it's always buttermilk. Great stuff,
George!

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA
 
On Thu, 09 Feb 2006 12:55:08 -0600, George Shirley
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Wayne Boatwright wrote:


>>>This is not stovetop, but I like it. It's from my Arkansas grandmother,
>>>and in the southern sytle, it has no sugar. That makes it great not only
>>>for eating, but also for making cornbread dressing.
>>>
>>>On New Year's day, it's nice to split open a piece and top it with
>>>black-eye peas cooked with a ham hock -- and don't forget a good dollop
>>>of the "pot liquor" from the peas.
>>>
>>>Corn Bread
>>>
>>>1-1/2 C corn meal (white or yellow)
>>>1 t baking soda
>>>1 t salt
>>>1 egg
>>>2 C buttermilk ("fake" buttermilk, from adding vinegar to fresh milk,
>>>will work too)
>>>
>>>Mix thoroughly. The batter will be thin. Mix just before the pan is
>>>ready.
>>>
>>>In hot oven (400 F), heat heavy pan (I use a cast-iron skillet) with 2 T
>>>bacon fat (anything else is _not_authentic_) until almost smoking. Add
>>>batter and bake until brown. When the bread pulls away from the sides of
>>>the pan, it's probably ready. Test it with a toothpick.

>>
>>
>> And very like my Mississippi grandmother's recipe. Best cornbread I've
>> ever eaten or made.
>>

>Sub 2 cups yellow cornmeal versus 1 1/2 cups and 2 well beaten eggs and
>it's what my Okie mama made. It's also a recipe from our first Betty
>Crocker cookbook from 1960. Only cornbread I will eat. Very good in a
>bowl with sweet milk (as opposed to buttermilk) on it with some chopped
>onion and black pepper. Good supper. We cook it for 20 minutes in a 450F
>oven in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Fried on the bottom, moist in the
>middle and brown on top. My wife is a Yankee and she prefers it with
>molasses poured over it. You can add crisp bacon pieces or, better yet,
>pork cracklings and then bake and it's outstanding. Southern comfort at
>its best.
>
>George


That is the same recipe I use. I also found it in my trusty Betty
Crocker cookbook.

I have made a small adjustment. I get coarse yellow cornmeal (also
labeled as polenta) and white cornmeal directly from the mill down the
road and use 1 cup of each. I also put maybe a tablespoon of bacon
grease in cast iron skillet and put it in the oven when preheating.
Pour the melted grease into the batter.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974