Chef notes
This amplified cornbread recipe is a showstopper for a gathering, and it allows me to use a can of red and green chiles, which always reminds me of Texas and its queso.
Swap option: You can use breakfast sausage or Italian sausage, as well as shredded Mexican or Italian cheese blend.
Technique tip: If you don't have buttermilk, make it with lemon juice and milk.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 7 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed and crumbled
- 1/2 cup chopped Vidalia or sweet onion
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp or finely minced
- unsalted butter, for greasing
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup corn (fresh, canned or frozen)
- 2 scallions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
Preparation
For the chorizo:
In a large cast-iron pan, add butter, chorizo, onion and garlic. Cook while stirring to keep onions from browning until chorizo is cooked through and broken down to resemble ground meat, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and allow to cool while working on the rest.
For the cornmeal:
1.Preheat the oven to 400 F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch dish or a large cast-iron pan.
2.In a pot on medium heat add the cornmeal, milk and buttermilk. Raise pot to a simmer while whisking to keep cornmeal from clumping or sticking in the corners. When liquid begins to thicken, turn off heat and continue to stir until it's the texture of loose grits.
3.In a small, steady bowl whisk the eggs while very slowly adding a bit of the cornmeal mixture. Whisk vigorously to combine and feel the outside of the bowl. If it's not warm, add a bit more of the cornmeal mixture while continuously whisking and keep adding the cornmeal mixture until the eggs are just as warm as the cornmeal mixture. Then, reversing order, slowly pour the egg mixture into the cornmeal mixture, whisking vigorously.
4.Pour cornmeal and egg mixture into the large bowl of cooked chorizo. Add the canned chopped tomatoes and green chiles, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, corn and scallions. Stir to combine.
5.Pour in the batter in the prepared pan and bake in the oven until edges are golden brown and the center is set, about 25 to 30 minutes.
