Moist cornbread for the road (Southern cornbread)
A golden cornbread, both moist and slightly crispy on the edges, halfway between bread and cake in its sweeter New York version. Sturdy, filling, perfect to take along and snack on cold.
A golden cornbread, both moist and slightly crispy on the edges, halfway between bread and cake in its sweeter New York version. Sturdy, filling, perfect to take along and snack on cold.
On the road, between shows, it has to hold up in the van and fill you up. Cornbread is that: you make it the night before, cut it into squares, wrap it up, and it goes everywhere with you. We like it a little sweet, New York style, golden on the edges. You bite into it cold at 3 in the morning after a show, and it takes you straight back to the family table. It's fuel with a soul, you feel me?
- •Cornmeal — one cup (base, grainy texture)
- •Wheat flour — one cup (softness)
- •Sugar — a few spoonfuls (sweetness (Northern style))
- •Baking powder — one spoonful (leavening)
- •Egg — one (binder)
- •Buttermilk or milk — one cup (moisture)
- •Melted butter — a good piece (richness, golden edges)
Moist cornbread for the road (Southern cornbread)
A golden cornbread, both moist and slightly crispy on the edges, halfway between bread and cake in its sweeter New York version. Sturdy, filling, perfect to take along and snack on cold.
Why this dish? Jarobi White, founding member of the group, became a professional chef — cooking was a real passion in the group's circle. Cornbread, a pillar of African American soul food, travels without spoiling: it was the comfort bread they took on the road, in the van, between concerts.
On the road, between shows, it has to hold up in the van and fill you up. Cornbread is that: you make it the night before, cut it into squares, wrap it up, and it goes everywhere with you. We like it a little sweet, New York style, golden on the edges. You bite into it cold at 3 in the morning after a show, and it takes you straight back to the family table. It's fuel with a soul, you feel me?
Ingredients (period version)
- Cornmeal — one cup (base, grainy texture)
- Wheat flour — one cup (softness)
- Sugar — a few spoonfuls (sweetness (Northern style))
- Baking powder — one spoonful (leavening)
- Egg — one (binder)
- Buttermilk or milk — one cup (moisture)
- Melted butter — a good piece (richness, golden edges)
Ingredients
- Cornmeal (medium grind) — 150 g (base, grainy texture)
- Wheat flour — 150 g (softness)
- Sugar — 60 g (sweetness (Northern style))
- Baking powder — 1 tbsp (leavening)
- Salt — 1/2 tsp (balance)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
- Buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice) — 240 ml (moisture)
- Melted butter — 60 g (richness, golden edges)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C and butter a pan (ideally a hot cast-iron skillet for crispy edges).
- Mix the dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
- In another bowl, beat the egg with buttermilk and melted butter.
- Pour the liquid into the dry and mix just enough to combine (do not overmix).
- Pour the batter into the hot pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife comes out clean.
- Let cool slightly, cut into squares; wrap those you take along once cooled.
How it was made : Cornbread is a legacy of Native American cuisines adopted and then transformed by African American Southern cooking, where it accompanied beans, greens and stewed dishes. Traditionally baked in a greased cast-iron skillet and without sugar in the Deep South, it became sweeter and more cake-like as it moved north to New York. It is a pillar of soul food, a cuisine born of ingenuity and resourcefulness.
The contemporary twist : Cut into sticks for dipping, or served warm with whipped honey butter. Plated directly in the cast-iron skillet for a rustic look in photos.
Sources : Edna Lewis, The Taste of Country Cooking
A Tribe Called Quest · Charactorium