-Spicy Cornbread

Suggested Wine Pairing: Ceja Carneros Chardonnay

Ingredients:

• 2 ears of corn or 2 cups of frozen and thawed (charred) corn
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 3 jalapenos finely diced
• 1 1/4 cups of cornmeal (preferably stone-ground; not coarse)
• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of bacon lard (optional)
• ½ cup of honey

Directions:

Grill corn cobs (lightly brushed with olive oil) on medium heat and turn every 3 minutes until charred and golden brown. Cut kernels off cobs then sauté kernels with chopped jalapenos for 3 minutes with a little bit of olive oil. Set aside.

**If using frozen corn, ensure corn is properly thawed before sautéing with jalapeños. 

Add butter and vegetable oil into a cast-iron skillet and place into a pre-heated oven set at 450°F. Melt the contents of the skillet then remove skillet and place the melted butter and vegetable oil into a large sized bowl.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients - cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  

Whisk buttermilk, corn/jalapeno mixture, honey and eggs into the large bowl holding the melted butter and vegetable oil (bacon lard can also be added) then stir into cornmeal mixture until evenly combined. Pour into hot skillet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until surface is golden brown. Allow skillet to cool down for 10 minutes then enjoy!