Buttermilk Cornbread wtih Pancetta, Green Pepper and Shallots

>griWhen I moved to America, I discovered a whole world of foods. During that first summer, English was still a jumble of mysterious words, but the juicy burgers and sweet corn at barbecues at neighbor’s houses were a language I could understand. I fell in love with cornbread that summer, whose sweet yet salty crumbs pair so well with some honey butter.

While plain cornbread is delicious, I love to sneak in some surprises in my batter, especially bacon and pepper. To not have to open a brand new package of bacon, I like to use the small packs of diced pancetta sold at Trader Joe’s or just buy pancetta at the deli. Toss in a little diced green pepper as well and you’ll have a rainbow of pretty colors and flavors in your cornbread. Serve it at your next cookout, and use any leftovers for a delicious base for roast chicken stuffing.

Buttermilk Cornbread 
with Pancetta, Green Pepper and Shallots
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of pancetta, diced
3 shallots, minced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 3/4 cups of cornmeal
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of buttermilk (use powdered buttermilk if you don’t have any fresh)
1/3 cups of sour cream
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons of salted butter, cut into large chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a large cast iron skillet or pan in the oven.
2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium flame. Add a tablespoon of butter and melt. Add the shallots and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Now add the green pepper and the pancetta. Saute for another 3 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the pancetta is very lightly browned. Turn off the heat and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and pour in 1/2 cup of the cornmeal. Stir rapidly until you have a warm mush.
4. In a medium bowl, blend the remaining corn meal, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
5. Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs to the warm mush and blend well with a spatula. Now fold in the peppers, pancetta, and shallots.
6. Once the oven has reached the desired temperature, remove the pan from the oven. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and swirl to melt and grease the pan. Pour any excess butter into the warm mush mixture
7. Pour the dry ingredients into the warm mush and stir until just incorporated with a wooden spoon. Don’t overwork the batter or the cornbread will be tough.
8. Spoon the batter carefully into the hot pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and delicious looking. Serve warm.