Serrano Chili-Blue Corn Bread
Flecks of peppers and cilantro enliven this blue corn bread. It is best straight out of the oven, but it freezes well. Reheat before serving. Chef Pyles uses this bread as the base for his Blue Cornmeal – Chorizo Dressing for his Roast Wild Turkey.
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour - 1 cup, unbleached
- Blue Cornmeal - 1-1/4 cups
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons
- Salt - 1 teaspoon
- Baking Powder - 1 tablespoon
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Serrano Chilies - 3, seeded and diced (alt. jalapenos)
- Red Bell Pepper - 1 medium, seeded and diced
- Green Bell Pepper - 1medium, seeded and diced
- Garlic Cloves - 3, minced
- Eggs - 2
- Shortening - 6 tablespoons, melted and cooled
- Butter - 6 tablespoons, melted and cooled
- Baking Soda - 1/8 teaspoon
- Buttermilk - 1 cup, at room temperature
- Cilantro - 3 tablespoons, chopped, fresh
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Heat the butter in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat and when hot, saute the serrano chilies, red and green peppers, and garlic for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs lightly and add the melted shortening and butter. Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk and add it to the mixture. Add the dry ingredients, beating until the batter is just smooth; do not overmix. Fold in the vegetable mixture and cilantro.
Pour the batter into a buttered 9-by-13-inch pan and bake in the center of a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Cut into squares to serve.
