Cornbread with Harissa Butter
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Cornbread with Harissa Butter
There is a vocal group of people who feel that there shouldn’t be any sweetener in cornbread. Well, I feel that way when someone hands me a sweetened glass of iced tea, when I see bagels with dried fruit in them, or when I see a Caesar salad with fried chicken or shrimp on it. As I get older, I say: to each their own. (And since few people call it “Banana cake,” in favor of “banana bread,” I rest my case.) If you don’t like it, just leave it out.
But since we’re on our high-horse, if you can get it, stone-ground cornmeal makes much better cornbread. You can find it in natural food stores and online. However regular cornmeal will be fine. (In France, it’s available in markets that specialize in Indian, Sri Lankan and Middle Eastern foods. You can also use instant or regular polenta that’s not too coarse.) In the UK, cornflour is cornstarch (very finely powdered corn) and should not be used.
Buttermilk give the cornbread a nice, light texture. You can make your own by measuring out 1 cup (250ml) of milk minus 1 tablespoon, then adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar (white or cider), and letting it sit for 10 minutes, until it looks lumpy and curdles a bit.
Ingredients
For the cornbread:
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (120g) yellow cornmeal preferably stone-ground
- 2 teaspoons baking powder preferably aluminium-free
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, 60ml) melted butter salted or unsalted, cooled until tepid, plus 1/2 tablespoon of butter for greasing the pan
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons honey
For the harissa butter:
- 4 ounces (8 tablespoons, 115g) salted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon harissa or to taste (see Note, below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Have ready a 8- or 9-inch cast iron skillet and drop the 1/2 tablespoon of butter in it. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, butter an 8-inch (20cm) square pan, or similar sized baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, until there are no lumps. If you see lumps, sift the ingredients together.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and honey.
- About 5 minutes before you’re ready to mix and bake the cornbread, put the cast iron skillet with the butter in it in the oven, to melt the butter and warm the skillet. (If using a buttered baking pan, no need to put it in the oven first.)
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ingredients using a spatula. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Small lumps are okay, but don’t overmix; that will result in tough, dense cornbread.
- Wearing an oven mitt, carefully pull the very hot skillet out of the oven, being conscious of how hot it is. Spread the butter around the inside of the pan with a paper towel or brush, then pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake the cornbread until the center just feels like it’s about set; in a cast iron skillet, it will take 10 to 12 minutes, in a baking pan, it will take about 15 to 18 minutes.
- While the cornbread is baking, mix together the softened salted butter with the harissa until thoroughly blended.
- Let the cornbread cool slightly, then cut squares of the cornbread. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
Notes
- Storage: Like most baked goods, cornbread is best served warm from the oven. If you wish to reheat it, it can be wrapped in foil and reheated in the oven, until warm. Cornbread can be frozen, if well-wrapped, and stored for up to two months.
- Note: Harissa is a paste-like Tunisian hot sauce and available in shops that specialize in North African and Mediterranean foods, as well as in well-stocked supermarkets. It’s available online as well. My go-to recipe for harissa is in My Paris Kitchen if you want to make your own, and you can find recipes online as well.
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