Spoonbread: an American comforter
OK, it is two days later and there was, of course, some spoonbread left over. Today I made a chicken gravy with some stock made from trimmings, heated in it some slices of leftover roast chicken and served it over slices of the spoonbread heated over very low heat in a bit of butter. It was really good! Not that much like grilled or fried polenta. Lighter, fluffier. Not at all lacking in great taste and it had a very pleasant texture. Some linginberry jam from Ikea took the place of cranberry sauce.
I wonder why no one seems to make spoonbread any more? Even I, known for digging out dishes whose day is long past, haven’t made it in more than a decade. It’s so creamy, warm, smooth and it loves butter or sauces.
I made this one just a few minutes ago. This is the quick and easy version, and it isn’t as luxurious as the more complicated version. It is, however, ready in less than 30 minutes from the thought.
Preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F. Put a 1 quart/liter baking dish in to warm.
1 egg
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1-1/2 cups of buttermilk, or if you are an expat, 6 tablespoons of buttermilk powder and 1-1/2 cups skim milk
1 tablespoon of butter melted in a heated 1 quart/1 liter baking dish
Using a whisk, beat the egg in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix them thoroughly. Carefully scrape all of the batter into the pre-heated baking dish and cook for 20-25 minutes or until it is just set.
Spoon out servings topped with melting butter.
I actually ate my piece with chili, but those photos were even worse than these. The camera focuses on everything but the bread.
16 comments January 14th, 2008
