If you eat at Dunsmoor and you don't order the cornbread, you're doing something wrong. It's the signature dish at the Glassell Park restaurant, which is known for its open fire cooking. Pretty much everything on the menu is cooked over the hearth.
What's the key to great cornbread? You need a hot pan, says chef Brian Dunsmoor. His version, which is based on a recipe by Edna Lewis, one of the greats of Southern cooking, incorporates Anaheim chilies (or Hatch, if you've got 'em) and cheddar cheese. And butter. Lots and lots of butter.
"People have described the butter we put on it as slutty," Dunsmoor says with a laugh.
He also asserts, "Cornbread should not be sweet. You put sweet stuff on top of cornbread."
Dunsmoor's Sour Milk Cornbread with Cheddar and Anaheim Chilies
Batter makes 12 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups cornmeal
- 4 cups buttermilk
- 6 whole eggs
- 2 cups Hook's cheddar
- 1 cup Hatch or Anaheim peppers
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients together — cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda
- In a separate bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, cheese, and peppers
- Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix well
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius)
- Place a 5-inch cast iron pan on a burner to heat up until it smokes
- Add clarified butter to the bottom of the pan then add 3 oz of the cornbread mix
- Place in the oven for around 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown and crisp (every oven will vary)