“I, for one, know that when I pull that skillet from the oven, watch that hot fat dance across the shiny blackness of its surface, pour that batter in and listen to it sizzle, I am embracing the humble roots of humanity and of those people who gave me the name Gillespie.” –Atlanta-based Chef Kevin Gillespie (below)
An eight-wedge cast-iron pan from Lodge and fine white cornmeal conspire to make the kind of cornbread Byrn grew up with. Perfect with soup or stew. You can use a preheated muffin pan, too.
Makes 12 wedges. Excerpted from Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories by Anne Byrn. Copyright © 2024 by Anne Byrn. Photographs © 2024 by Rinne Allen. Used by permission of Harper Celebrate.
1. Heat oven to 425F. Place 8-wedge cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Whisk cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in ¼ cup oil or lard and the buttermilk and stir until just combined.
3. When skillet is hot, pour 1 teaspoon of oil or lard into each wedge. When the oil smokes, add a heaping ¼ cup batter to each wedge. Carefully place pan in oven and bake until cornbread is lightly browned and each wedge feels firm when pressed lightly on top, 12–15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, run a knife around each wedge and turn them out.
4. To use the remaining batter, place skillet back over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to half of the wedge indentations and pour in the rest of the batter. Bake as directed above. Serve hot.
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