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Photo by Kristian J. Smith/iStock
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Cast-iron cookware offers a lot of versatility in the kitchen, great as cooking tools and serving pieces. They need just a little special care—see the tips below.
Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
MAKES 12–13
½ cup cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ jalapeno pepper, minced
2 scallions, minced (white and light-green parts)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients (cornmeal through salt). Add the jalapeno pepper and scallions. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and thoroughly combine.
Spray a cast-iron corn stick mold with cooking spray, and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Fill the mold with the cornmeal mixture, almost to the top of each depression. Bake until the tops are golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. To remove from pan, loosen the sides with a small spatula. Place a wire rack over the mold and invert onto the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Recipe tip
Care and seasoning of cast-iron cookware
- Never soak or wash your cast iron with soap—rinse with hot water immediately after cooking.
- To remove burned-on food, use coarse salt and a nonmetal brush.
- To prevent rust, dry the skillet thoroughly and lightly coat with cooking oil.
- To season a cast-iron piece, coat it with cooking oil and bake in a 350-degree oven for an hour.