Jalapeño Corn Bread
This bread was one of the first American recipes my family was exposed to in suburban Western Australia in the 1970s, courtesy of its inclusion in one of those strange cookbooks that schools and clubs used to produce to raise money, and staff and parents buy out of a sense of duty, seasoned perhaps with a hint of culinary desperation.
This isn't very typical cornbread, however; it has a Southwestern feel and a bit of wannabe quiche or frittata in it. It's a fantastic side with chili, and keeps a few days far better than the average. And it's dead easy.
Corn is seasonal here, although it works equally well with canned corn.
Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1/2 tsp bicarb (baking) soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup fresh corn kernels or canned corn (whole kernel or creamed)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup green (bell) pepper, chopped*
1 Tbp preserved jalapeño peppers, chopped*
2/3 cup shredded jack or cheddar cheese, lightly packed
1/3 cup olive oi
1 large or 2 small eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk
Method
Preheat oven to hot (200C/400F).
Combine dry (first six on the list) ingredients in a bowl. Add corn, onion, peppers and cheese, stir to combine. In a separate bowl or jug, combine milk, egg and oil; add the combined liquids to the bread mixture, and stir just to combine.
Pour batter into a well-greased pan, bake for 30-40 mins; if the top is browning too soon, turn the oven down to 180/350. Test the centre - it may take a bit longer depending on the depth of the batter.
Serve, of course, with chili con carne.
*The form peppers or chiles take in this recipe can vary according to availability and the amount of heat desired. The original form of this recipe used one fresh jalapeño and a can of mild green chiles, both familiar ingredients to US readers but not to some others. I tend to use some fresh bell pepper (capsicum) and the pickled jalapeños in jars, but the basic need is for about 1/2 cup of peppers in some form, for colour as well as flavour.
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