Cornbread recipe to cook in a cast iron skillet

[megswsu]

Anyone have one? Or does any recipe work to bake in a skillet? I just bought a 10" cast iron skillet and have never used one before so I don't know what works or not. (I did use it for scrambled eggs this morning and talk about delicious!)

Also, I did see a recipe on the manufacturer's website that calls for salad oil. What on earth is that??

[hobish]

Ooh, i hope someone has one. I have been craving corn bread and always like uses for my iron skillet. I can help with salad oil, though - it is just vegetable oil.

[magicdomino]

Any standard cornbread recipe is better baked in a cast iron skillet.  Even cornbread mixes are probably better baked in a cast iron skillet, not that I've ever stooped that low.     Seriously, though, I use a buttermilk corn bread recipe based on one in the Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I can give you the recipe later if you want, but I should warn you that I prefer a coarser, unsweetened cornbread.  If you are looking for the sweet cakey kind, someone else can help.  Come to think of it, the Joy of Cooking recipe would probably be fine if you added the sugar and kept the proportions of corn meal and flour the same (I switch them)).

[nrb80]

http://www.passionatevegetarian.com/r_skillet_sizzled_cb.htm

[ITSJUSTME]

The most important thing is to preheat the cast iron pan in the oven and to put some bacon grease in it to heat as well.  This helps the crust and adds flavor.

Of course, if you don't happen to have any bacon grease on hand then you'll just have to cook some bacon and drain most of the grease from the pan.  And then I guess you would have to crumble the cooked bacon into the cornbread batter.

Life is so hard sometimes . . . . . 

[Lynnv]

This recipe originally came from Good Eats.  Here is the link to the original:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/creamed-corn-cornbread-recipe/index.html

DH and I tend to like our cornbread more on the southern side (though not truly southern, since we like a bit of flour and a bit of sugar in it).

***my modifications***
Substitute about 1/3 - 1/2 cup AP flour for the same amount of cornmeal
decrease baking soda and powder a tad (I am cooking at Denver altitude-but I don't worry about it too much)
add a little honey or molasses and about an extra TB of sugar

I often use bacon grease to oil the pan rather than canola oil....it really makes it crusty and yummy.  And I keep bacon grease around for just such occasions.   
I sometimes add a little cheese or a little bacon or a little jalapeno or a little of each to the mix.  Pepperjack cornbread is fabulous!
I seldom have buttermilk on hand, but find the buttermilk powder plus water does fine-though I decrease the water a bit to compensate.  You don't really even have to mix up the buttermilk-just add the powder to the dry ingredients and the water with the wet ingredients.
I often add a little melted butter (1-4 TB) to the batter...though it isn't really necessary.  But it is tasty.  :>

Be sure to preheat your pan (and your oil of choice) as that is what really makes the crust-and the crust makes cornbread (IMO).

It does tend more towards the crumbly drier texture of a southern cornbread than the more cake-like texture of a northern cornbread-but it is great for chili and soup.

[magicdomino]

If you don't have any bacon grease around, you can rub the hot skillet with butter before filling with batter.   It is important to heat the skillet first, especially with cast iron because it can take a while to heat up by itself. 

I like to add about 1/4 cup of chopped onion to the batter.

[megswsu]

Thanks! I'll definitely be greasing w/bacon grease next time. Forgot I had some in the freezer.   

But can I say that I really love my skillet?