Black History Month Recipe: Skillet Cornbread
“Cornbread illustrates how America’s food has emerged as a creolized national cuisine, one that draws on elements from multiple cultural traditions,” writes Anela Malik, author of “American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States.”
“Corn is indigenous to North America and then became a staple part of rations for enslaved peoples,” Malik said in a recent interview, in which she agreed to share this recipe. While the dish is often talked about as a Southern dish, “its history is much more complicated,” she says.
Skillet Cornbread
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
2 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for serving
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
RELATED: ‘American Soul’ author explains how Black history shapes U.S. cuisine
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, turning often, until crispy, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain (save for another use); reserve bacon grease in the pan.
Add butter to skillet and let melt. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add buttermilk and eggs and stir until just combined. Swirl skillet until fully coated with butter and bacon grease. Pour in the batter and place skillet in the oven. Bake until cornbread is browned on top and edges pull away from sides of pan, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with pats of butter, slice and serve hot.
— Recipe reprinted with permission from “American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States” by Anela Malik and Renae Wilson (National Geographic, $40)