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Preheat oven to 220C. Place lard in a 20cm cast-iron skillet and warm in oven. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and 1 tsp sea salt in a large bowl. Combine eggs and buttermilk and stir into cornmeal mixture until smooth. Pour mixture into a hot skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature cut into wedges.

Note Cornbread, a specialty of the American South is commonly made with stone-ground white cornmeal. Unfortunately it’s hard to find here. Your best bet is to use fine-ground cornmeal or maize meal, not polenta, available in health food and organic grocery stores. If you can find fresh rendered lard from a butcher I highly recommend using it. To render your own lard, purchase pork fat from your butcher, coarsely chop it and place into a large saucepan with a little cold water to prevent it sticking. Place over a low heat and stir occasionally until fat has melted. Strain through a fine sieve and refrigerate until set. Scoop fat into a clean container and discard water. Refrigerate until required. Lard will keep, refrigerated, for 3 months.