WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Cornbread falls into two main styles: the sweet, cakey Northern type and the crusty, savory kind more often found in Southern kitchens. Each has its die-hard fans, but let’s face the facts neither tastes much like corn. This is because most cornbreads are made with cornmeal alone, and no fresh corn at all. Furthermore, the so-called “field” or “dent” corn used to make cornmeal is far starchier (read: less flavorful) than the sweet corn grown to eat off the cob. So what would it take to get real corn flavor in cornbread? It wouldn’t be as simple as just tossing some fresh-cut kernels into the batter. We found that we needed to add at least 2 whole cups of kernels for the corn flavor to really shine, and that created a slew of problems. Since fresh kernels are full of moisture, the crumb of the cornbread became riddled with unpleasant gummy pockets. What’s more, the kernels turned chewy and tough as the bread baked. So we turned our attention first to the base of the cornbread, using slightly more cornmeal than flour and abandoning fine-ground cornmeal in favor of the stone-ground type, which contains both the hull and the oil-rich germ of the corn kernel. The upshot: a more rustic texture and fuller flavor. For sweetness, honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar all masked the fresh corn taste, but 2 tablespoons of regular granulated sugar fell neatly in line. For the liquid component, traditional tangy buttermilk could not be beat. Turning back to the issue of the corn, we decided to try making a “corn butter” by pureeing fresh kernels and then reducing the mixture on the stove until thick. Using just three ears of corn, we found that the puree thickened and turned deep yellow in minutes, transforming into a “butter” packed with concentrated corn flavor. Added to the batter, this puree turned the tide: For the first time, the cornbread tasted like real corn—and without any distracting chewiness or gumminess. We prefer to use a well seasoned cast-iron skillet in this recipe, but an ovensafe 10-inch skillet can be used in its place. Alternatively, in step 4, you can add 1 tablespoon of butter to a 9-inch cake pan and place it in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes.
SERVES: 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
- 1⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces) stone-ground cornmeal
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 2 cups)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl; set aside.
- Process corn in blender until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium saucepan (you should have about 1½ cups). Cook puree over medium heat, stirring constantly, until very thick and deep yellow and reduced to ¾ cup, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Off heat, whisk in 5 tablespoons butter until melted. Whisk in buttermilk until incorporated. Whisk in eggs and yolk until incorporated. Transfer to bowl with cornmeal mixture and, using rubber spatula, fold until just combined.
- Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Scrape batter into skillet and spread into even layer. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cornbread is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 23 to 28 minutes.
- Remove skillet from oven and transfer to wire rack. Let cornbread cool in skillet for 5 minutes. Remove cornbread from skillet and let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve.
