Southern Cornbread Jim’s Way

Cooking school taught me that you have to have a balance of tastes in your dishes. Bitter, salty, sour and sweet all must be in harmony; things taste better that way.

It’s why southern cornbread (and biscuits … and pancakes! Ohhh pancakes!) has buttermilk. It’s also why – even though I’m in the South – there is a touch of sugar in this cornbread.

1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup self rising flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
2 T sugar
fresh ground pepper
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
4 T butter
4 T olive oil

Preheat oven and [easyazon-link keywords=”12-inch cast iron skillet” locale=”us”]No. 10 cast iron skillet[/easyazon-link] (a Number 10 is a 12 inch pan) to 425 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Beat in eggs and milk.

Remove skillet from oven. Add oil and butter, allowing butter to melt. Pour most of the oil & butter mixture into batter and stir well.

Sprinkle skillet lightly with salt and add batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Don’t have buttermilk? You can substitute one cup milk + 1 T apple cider vinegar.