Name: Cornbread
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1/3 cup lard (see note); 255 gm fine yellow or white cornmeal (see note) (1½ cups); 125 ml plain flour (½ cup); 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 2 eggs, lightly whisked; 400 ml buttermilk

Ingredients

1/3 cup lard (see note)

255 gm fine yellow or white cornmeal (see note) (1½ cups)

125 ml plain flour (½ cup)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs, lightly whisked

400 ml buttermilk

Method

Main

1.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.
Notes