OK. I’m back. This concoction’s fun, albeit pretty spicy. It started from my handwritten notes on a long-forgotten website entry for Habanero Cornbread, somewhere around the time that The Dixie Chicks went from hanging out at the Grammys to hiding out at their Grammy’s. The recent surge in availability of, and interest in, Ghost Peppers (not to mention several pounds of roasted Hatch chiles in the freezer) led to this iteration. Serve slices with soft butter and something a little sweet like jam or honey.
BHUT BREAD
Preheat oven to 375* F
Butter the hell out of the bottom and side of a loaf or 8x8 pan.
DRY:
1 cup Cornmeal
1 cup Flour
2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
WET:
1 Large Egg
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/4 Cup Corn Oil (I use corn, because corn, but, clearly other neutral oils would work just the same)
1 8 oz. Can Creamed Corn (There’s probably a way to get rid of this with somer type of “upgrade” ingredient, but it works, so . . . .)
1/2 to 1 Cup Grated Cheese (Jack or Cheddar make the most sense, but, there’s wiggle room here. Same with the amount. Cheesy bread’s good, and the fattiness helps cut the heat.)
1 to 2 Tbs. Sugar
1 to 2 Tbs. Molasses (Truth is, these two sweeteners mitigate the heat. More than 4 Tbs seems like too much, less than 1 is for the truly brave. My preference is for about 2 of the Molasses and 1/2 of Turbinado sugar.)
1 Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper), minced w/ seeds removed (If you want to remove the stems as well, I promise not to judge.)*
2 Roasted Hatch chiles, minced (Anaheims are a fine substitution - they don’t really even have to be roasted, but it’s better that way).
I bet you guys know the rest.
Mix DRY. Mix WET. Mix DRY together with WET. Pour into pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. I do the toothpick thing to test for doneness.
- 3 or 4 minced habaneros were what I used before trying out the Ghosts. They’re a bit less explosive without being wimpy.
Also, a hearty “Thanks!” to all who have posted. Please keep 'em coming. Who cares if you’ve posted 'em elsewhere.
Besides, this way, who knows, Samson’ll have 'em all to package up for sale - should desperate measures be required to keep the lights on here. . . .
