Ingredients
200g polenta or fine ground cornmeal
284ml pot buttermilk
25g butter
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp baking powder (check it's gluten free)
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (check it's gluten free)
50g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
2 large eggs, beaten
Method
-
Lightly toast the polenta in a dry frying pan for 3-4 mins, stirring to cook evenly, until the polenta has heated through, is fragrant and small patches are starting to turn golden brown. Take off the heat, add half to a large bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir, cover and leave to soak for 2-3 hours.
-
Melt the butter in a 25cm ovenproof frying pan (a cast-iron one is perfect) and heat oven to 220 degrees C/ 200 degrees C fan-forced. Stir the butter and the remaining ingredients, including the rest of the toasted polenta and ½ tsp salt, into the buttermilk and polenta mixture. (Don't wipe out the frying pan – the slick of butter will ensure the bread doesn't stick.)
-
Put the pan back on the heat and turn up the temperature. Pour the mixture into the pan – it should sizzle as it hits it, like a Yorkshire pudding. Put the whole pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and firm in the middle. Leave to cool a little, then serve in wedges.
