What I'm Cooking - Cornbread

Cornbread is something I've rarely dabbled with in the past, in part because my results usually ended up subpar. Thankfully, Cooks' Illustrated decided to tackle this troublesome side dish in a recent issue (July & August 2013) and I am very pleased with the results.

Fresh Corn Bread

1 ⅓	cups (6 ⅔ ounces) stone-ground cornmeal
1	cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
2	tablespoons sugar
1 ½	teaspoons baking powder
¼	teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼	teaspoons salt
3	ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (2 ¼ cups)
6	tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1	cup buttermilk
2	large eggs plus 1 large yolk

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda, and the salt together in a large bowl and set aside.



2. Throw your kernels into a blender and let it run on high for about 2 minutes until very smooth. If your blender is old like mine, you might also want to invest in a pair of earmuffs.



3. Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (seriously, it'll clump and burn otherwise), until very thick and deep yellow, 5-8 minutes. I could only find white corn when I went shopping so stick with the time range if you're unsure if it's done or not.

4. Remove the pan from heat and add 5 (NOT 6) tablespoons of butter and whisk until melted. Then add the buttermilk and whisk again. Finally add in the eggs and whisk one more time. Once everything is fully incorporated, transfer the corn mixture to the bowl with the dry goods and fold together with a spatula until just combined.

5. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into a 10-inch iron skillet over medium heat. Pour in the batter and level out before placing in the oven for about 23-28 minutes. Check it with a toothpick to confirm it is done and then remove it and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then remove the cornbread from the skillet and let cool for an additional 20 minutes before grabbing giant handfuls, slathering it in butter, and then cramming it into your mouth as fast as humanly possible.