1 egg
1 4/5 cups buttermilk
4 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
*2 scant cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1 tsp. salt (optional)
*If you don't have self-rising cornmeal, you can use regular cornmeal plus
1 tsp. baking soda and 2 tsp. baking powder
Recipe
Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Beat the egg in a medium- to large-sized bowl.
3. Add the buttermilk and oil. Mix.
4. Add salt (optional, and not at all necessary).
5. Gradually add the cornmeal, and stir just until blended.
6. Coat the inside of the skillet with about 1 tbsp. of oil. Heat it on an eye of the stove until it smokes. By now the oven should be good and hot, too.
7. Pour the batter into the skillet. It will give off a satisfying sizzle.
8. Put the skillet into the oven. (This is why you can't use one with a plastic or wooden handle.)
9. Check on the cornbread after about 15 minutes, and keep looking at it every minute or two. Opening the oven door lets out a lot of the heat really fast, so just look through the glass window if your oven door has one; if it's old and dingy like mine, use a flashlight.
When it's done the cornbread should be a lovely golden brown, and a knife inserted should come out clean. It should take 20 minutes at the most.
Serve hot. Slather with butter or margarine. Or pour yourself a great big glass of milk and crumble it up in it...eat with spoon...it's good