Crispy Caribbean Cornbread

Is there anything better than a plate of BBQ with a piece of juicy corn bread?

INGREDIENTS

• knob of lard, for the tin
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 4 spring onions, green parts only, finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• 125 g (4½ oz) canned sweetcorn, drained
• 150 g (5½ oz) cornmeal or fine polenta
• 15 g (½oz) plain flour
• ¾ tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• good pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 170 ml (6 fl oz) buttermilk
• 15 g (½ oz) butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C/410°F/gas mark 6½. Grease a round, 5 cm (2 in) deep, 20 cm (8 in) wide cake tin with the lard and put it in the oven to get very hot. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the spring onions, chilli and sweetcorn for about a minute to soften the onions and chilli. Remove from the heat.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Mix the egg with the buttermilk in a jug. Make a hollow in the middle of the dry ingredients and gradually pour the buttermilk mixture into this, bringing in the dry ingredients as you do so with a fork. Add the melted butter and the spring onion mixture.
3. Carefully take the cake tin out of the oven and pour the corn batter into it – it should sizzle. Return the tin to the oven and bake the bread for 15-20 minutes, until it is golden and the edges are starting to come away from the sides of the tin. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool. Cut into wedges to serve.