Eat With The Espinelis | 004

Homemade Cornbread

Thanksgiving is a special holiday in the States, typically full of a wide assortment of food and steeped in tradition. It also serves as a seasonal pivot point for when our attention begins to draw away from Autumn toward the Advent season, which culminates in that glorious Christmas Day. You may not be surprised that this cherished American holiday is not observed here in the UK, save for scattered pockets of ex-pats who have slowly introduced the festive feast with their British neighbors. 

There's quite an assortment of entrees and side dishes to choose from, and typically, we see some of these fill the Thanksgiving table: 

• Roasted turkey

• Stuffing

• Mashed potatoes & gravy

• Green bean casserole

• Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows

• Pumpkin or sweet potato pie

• Cranberry sauce

• Rolls or (American) biscuits 

• Apple pie

• Candied yams

• Pecan pie

• Cornbread

Cornbread is one of these items that is a favorite distinctly American food of ours that many Brits have yet to try. In the States, one only needs to go to the local grocery store to pick up a box of pre-made cornbread mix or find a short list of ingredients that are always at one's fingertips. Simple recipes that we're accustomed to in the States can get complicated in the UK because certain ingredients aren't readily available at our local grocer or market. Combining the culture shock of needing to convert measurements to the metric system and the scavenger hunt of finding items that are called different names or just don't exist over here, I've had to get creative with recipes. This has actually been a special endeavor for me as it has allowed me the creative space in the kitchen where I truly find solace. 

Here's a very simple cornbread recipe that is perfectly fluffy and delicious. I do use sourdough starter discard, but if you don't have a starter currently, you can just replace it with more milk or buttermilk. (Post to come on how to keep a sourdough starter). 

Ingredients:

For the cornbread:

▢ 1 cup polenta (or cornmeal) 

▢ 1 cup flour 

▢ ¼ cup butter 

▢ ¼ cup sugar or less if desired (I use cane sugar) 

▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder 

▢ 1 teaspoon salt 

▢ 1 cup milk 

▢ ½ cup sourdough starter discard (or additional milk/buttermilk) 

▢ 2 eggs 

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200° C) 

2. Melt butter by putting it into a cast iron/ovenproof skillet and into the oven while it's preheating or melt on the stove. 

3. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl 

4. Add the milk, sourdough starter (if using), and the eggs to the dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Add in the melted butter and mix well.

6. Pour the batter into the skillet and smooth.

7. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

8. Enjoy on its own, alongside a Thanksgiving feast, or topped with butter, honey, or whatever your heart desires 

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

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