Skillet cornbread
A golden, dense bread made from cornmeal, baked in a hot cast-iron skillet that gives it a crispy crust. Slightly sweet, moist inside, it is broken by hand and used to sop up the juices of simmered dishes.
A golden, dense bread made from cornmeal, baked in a hot cast-iron skillet that gives it a crispy crust. Slightly sweet, moist inside, it is broken by hand and used to sop up the juices of simmered dishes.
You know what a 'rent party' was, honey? We'd push the furniture aside, the pianist would start, and we'd dance until dawn so the neighbor could keep her roof. And on the table, always, that good hot cornbread fresh from the cast-iron skillet — you'd tear off a piece with one hand, a glass in the other, no ceremony. That's Harlem, my dears: we didn't have much, but we shared everything.
- •Cornmeal — 2 cups (base)
- •Buttermilk (fermented milk) — as needed (binder and moisture)
- •Egg — 1 (binder)
- •Lard or butter — a spoonful + for the pan (fat)
- •Salt, baking powder — to taste (seasoning and leavening)
Skillet cornbread
A golden, dense bread made from cornmeal, baked in a hot cast-iron skillet that gives it a crispy crust. Slightly sweet, moist inside, it is broken by hand and used to sop up the juices of simmered dishes.
Why this dish? At Harlem's 'rent parties' — impromptu parties where people danced to piano music to help a neighbor pay rent — simple, filling dishes were shared. Cornbread, baked in a skillet and cut into wedges, is eaten by hand, perfect for those evenings when Adelaide Hall and her peers made the whole building swing.
You know what a 'rent party' was, honey? We'd push the furniture aside, the pianist would start, and we'd dance until dawn so the neighbor could keep her roof. And on the table, always, that good hot cornbread fresh from the cast-iron skillet — you'd tear off a piece with one hand, a glass in the other, no ceremony. That's Harlem, my dears: we didn't have much, but we shared everything.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cornmeal — 2 cups (base)
- Buttermilk (fermented milk) — as needed (binder and moisture)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
- Lard or butter — a spoonful + for the pan (fat)
- Salt, baking powder — to taste (seasoning and leavening)
Ingredients
- Fine cornmeal — 200 g (base)
- Wheat flour — 80 g (structure)
- Buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp lemon juice) — 300 ml (moisture, tang)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
- Melted butter — 50 g + a little for the pan (fat and crust)
- Sugar — 1 to 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Baking powder + salt — 1 packet + 1 tsp (leavening and flavor)
Method
- Preheat oven to 220 °C and place a cast-iron skillet with a knob of butter inside to heat.
- Mix dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, and melted butter; then stir into dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour batter into the hot skillet (it should sizzle) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- The bread is done when golden and a knife inserted comes out clean. Unmold and serve warm, cut into wedges.
How it was made : Cornbread descends from Native American corn cakes adopted by colonists and later by African-American cooks in the South. The preheated cast-iron skillet, inherited from hearth cooking, is key to its crust. Buttermilk, a byproduct of butter churning, provided acidity and moisture at low cost.
The contemporary twist : Baked in a muffin tin, it becomes a 'finger food' format ideal for a home jazz party.
Sources : Adrian Miller, Soul Food (2013) · Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog (2011)
Adelaide Hall · Charactorium