Some cornbread falls on the light and fluffy side of the spectrum, sweet enough to pass for dessert. Then there is crisp, lean and salty cornbread, nearly as savory as the fried chicken that often goes with it. This recipe splits the difference. Crisp-edged, maple-syrup-spiked and tender-crumbed, a buttered slice works equally well with a drizzle of honey or with hot sauce, or both if you just can't decide.The crunchy texture comes from pouring the batter into a hot well-greased skillet, which sears it on contact. The copious amount of butter in the batter keeps the center moist. To get the most flavor out of the butter, instead of just melting it, I leave it in the pan, letting it turn brown and nutty. I originally did this by accident, a happy result of too much multitasking. That cornbread turned out so richly flavored that I made browning the butter a habit.One note of caution: If you're using a dark cast-iron skillet (which I recommend, as it will give you the crispiest crust), it can be hard to tell nicely browned butter from terrifyingly burned. Your nose comes in handy here. Pay attention to the scent wafting around the kitchen. When it smells like chestnuts roasting on a street corner in December, immediately pour the butter into a bowl to stop the cooking.
I like to make this cornbread in my biggest skillet. It makes an extra-large loaf that I would say feeds a crowd but, to be honest, our small household of three manages to polish it off without any help. We eat it warm from the oven as soon as it's baked, then for breakfast and snacks in the following days until we're reduced to licking crumbs off the plate. That said, it will satisfy up to a dozen if you offer other dishes to go with it.Store any leftover cornbread at room temperature and reheat in a toaster oven before slathering with butter. Or halve the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch skillet. This version is minimalist, but feel free to jazz it up. At times, I've added shredded cheese, minced herbs and corn kernels. You can also swap out the maple syrup for honey. Whatever else you change, just make sure to brown the butter. Other than the cornmeal itself, the browned butter is the defining characteristic of this estimable loaf.Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread
Time: 1 hour
Yield: 12 servings
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal, fine or medium-coarse grind
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. On the stovetop, in a 11- or 12-inch skillet (ovenproof and preferably cast iron), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan to lightly coat sides and bottom, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep nut brown. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn.)2. Pour brown butter into a large bowl. (Do not wipe out the pan.) Whisk the maple syrup into the butter, then whisk in buttermilk. The mixture should be cool to the touch; if not, let cool before whisking in the eggs. Then whisk in the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda.3. If the skillet is no longer hot (cast iron retains heat longer than other metals), reheat it briefly on the stove for a few minutes. Scrape batter back into it. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into it emerges clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the skillet for 10 minutes before slicing.© 2014 New York Times News Service
I like to make this cornbread in my biggest skillet. It makes an extra-large loaf that I would say feeds a crowd but, to be honest, our small household of three manages to polish it off without any help. We eat it warm from the oven as soon as it's baked, then for breakfast and snacks in the following days until we're reduced to licking crumbs off the plate. That said, it will satisfy up to a dozen if you offer other dishes to go with it.Store any leftover cornbread at room temperature and reheat in a toaster oven before slathering with butter. Or halve the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch skillet. This version is minimalist, but feel free to jazz it up. At times, I've added shredded cheese, minced herbs and corn kernels. You can also swap out the maple syrup for honey. Whatever else you change, just make sure to brown the butter. Other than the cornmeal itself, the browned butter is the defining characteristic of this estimable loaf.Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread
Time: 1 hour
Yield: 12 servings
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal, fine or medium-coarse grind
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. On the stovetop, in a 11- or 12-inch skillet (ovenproof and preferably cast iron), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan to lightly coat sides and bottom, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep nut brown. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn.)2. Pour brown butter into a large bowl. (Do not wipe out the pan.) Whisk the maple syrup into the butter, then whisk in buttermilk. The mixture should be cool to the touch; if not, let cool before whisking in the eggs. Then whisk in the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda.3. If the skillet is no longer hot (cast iron retains heat longer than other metals), reheat it briefly on the stove for a few minutes. Scrape batter back into it. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into it emerges clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the skillet for 10 minutes before slicing.© 2014 New York Times News Service
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