SPICY CORNBREAD

Spicy Cornbread image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 45m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 cups stone-ground cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 poblano chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, cayenne, coriander, salt, pepper and baking soda in a large bowl.
Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, then pour into a small bowl and set aside. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add another tablespoon of butter and once it melts, add the poblano pepper and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it is softened and light brown, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the pepper-garlic mixture to another small bowl.
Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and the reserved 8 tablespoons of melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornbread mixture and stir until smooth. Separate and reserve a few pieces of poblano from the pepper-garlic mixture, then mix the remaining pepper-garlic mixture into the batter.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and melt, swirling to coat (if your pan has cooled a bit, warm it up over low heat). Turn off the heat and pour the cornbread batter into the skillet. Top with the reserved pieces of poblano and bake until the center bounces back when gently pressed with a finger, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.