Cornbread

Lemme confess here before you just how much I love bread. I mean it, I really, really love bread. No matter what type of bread. I could eat bread all day, fresh bread, out of the oven, redolent with warming scents, crisp and soft in the middle... man, I so love bread!! And within the myriads of breads I love, there's the soda bread, and there's the cornbread...

A yellowy, doughy, soft interior, hidden by a thin layer of crackling crust, the heady taste of the cornmeal, as the butter melts on top of a slice, cut minutes after it has left the oven, still exhuding smoky plumes of heat... the way it gets soggy as you dip it into a bowl of heartwarming stew, say, a chilli bean stew, or squash and veg stew, a meaty casserole with heavy sauces flowing... cornbread is a friend for every ingredient, enhacing even the most simple of dishes, like a humble leek soup!

So today I decided to bring you my own recipe of cornbread. And for this you'll need:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup polenta corn flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons melted buter

Gently beat the egg and the butter until fully mixed, and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing well with a wooden spoon. Line a loaf tin with parchement paper, pour the batter into it and put into a pre heated oven at 180º for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven. Keep checking as soon as you notice the crust is fully formed, using a skewer. As soon as this comes off clean, the bread is ready. Let it cool on a rack and serve still warm or cold. As I said previously, it goes rather well with just about everything!