Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sage & Honey Cornbread


Making cornbread from scratch is only marginally more difficult than making it from a boxed mix. And, while I do love me some Jiffy, I thought I would change things up & try some homemade. I was drawn to this recipe in particular because I could use my new cast iron skillet, it had the word "honey" in the title & I thought the addition of sage might be interesting.
I have to say that straight out of the oven, I questioned the sage, as it was quite overpowering. But, as it cooled, the flavor chilled out just enough that I really liked it. You can leave it out, if you wish. It would also probably be great with some thyme, or rosemary as well.

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 10" cast iron skillet into the oven & let it heat up while you prepare the batter {about 10 minutes}.
In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of cornmeal & 1 cup of flour.
Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder & 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk it up.

Chop 2 teaspoons of fresh sage leaves & add them to the dry ingredients. Stir it in.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of whole milk, a 1/2 cup of honey,

and 1 large egg.

Melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan, or in the microwave & add it to the egg mixture, whisking while adding it so you don't "cook" the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients & stir until just combined. Do not overmix! It is okay to have lumps in the batter.

Remove the skillet from the oven. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the already piping hot skillet. Swirl the butter around, to coat the pan well.
Pour the batter into the skillet & bake until the edges are browned & a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.

Depending on how hot your skillet is, it may take even less time. So, keep an eye on it & try not to overcook it. Let it cool slightly, before inverting the pan onto a serving plate. Slice into wedges & serve.

Sage & Honey Cornbread

Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 2007
Serves 8

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter {divided}

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 10" cast iron skillet into the oven & let it heat up while you prepare the cornbread batter {about 10 minutes}.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder & salt, with a whisk. Add in the chopped sage & stir it in. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the milk, honey & egg together. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan, or in the microwave & add it to the egg mixture, whisking while adding it so you don't "cook" the eggs.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the already piping hot skillet. Swirl the butter around, to coat the pan well.
Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients & stir until just combined. Do not overmix! It is okay to have lumps in the batter.
Pour the batter into the skillet & bake until the edges are browned & a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Depending on how hot your skillet is, it may take even less time. So, keep an eye on it & try not to overcook it. Let it cool slightly, before inverting the pan onto a serving plate. Slice into wedges & serve.
Click here for the printable recipe.

10 comments:

Cookie said...

I've just made my first cornbread in a cast iron skillet and love it! Can't wait to try this recipe!

Joanne said...

I love homemade cornbread and the sage and honey combination sounds delicious. I'm very particular about my sage but this does sound good.

Mika said...

If I don't have a cast iron skillet can I use a regular pan to try this? I know, it will not be exactly the same, with the crisp crust, but it will be good enough, right?

katie said...

Mika~I actually have made it without the skillet as well. You absolutely can, but it doesn't have the crust. You could always try preheating your pan too. That might work...not as well, but a bit better than not?

Pie Scientista said...

A breakfast place in my neighborhood makes their cornbread with sage. It is an amazing combination!

Rachel said...

Currently in the oven :) I had no sage so I omitted it and I browned the butter so it got that nice toasty flavor. Can't wait to try it!

Alisa said...

Hopefully you don't mind, but I posted this recipe on my blog! I credited to you. I made a few adaptations (based on my lactose intolerance) and it was delicious.

traveler's pen said...

Just curious I see "don't overmix" a lot...what happens if you do? And how do you know when to stop!?

katie said...

traveler's pen - without getting overly scientific about it [you can search google for that if desired] - basically over-mixing dough or batter causes excessive gluten to develop which can yield a "tough" end product. So you're looking to mix the minimum amount necessary to produce a uniform batter.
A good guide is to stop mixing when you no longer see any streaks of flour in the mixture. Hope this helps!

traveler's pen said...

Thanks!!

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