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I learned this perfect crackling cornbread recipe from Mary Hicks, 90+ years old, who grew up in a farm above Helvetia, West Virginnia. All the cornbread I ate in Helvetia was made with white cornmeal. When I asked Nancy Gain why this was she said it was for no particular reason, just what people had. There does seem to be a difference though I couldn’t really say what. This recipe works fine with yellow cornmeal; in either case, slightly coarse ground meal works best.
Mary taught me that liberally greasing the pan with rendered bacon fat gives a very crisp crust and wonderful flavor.
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup all–purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 to 2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
2 to 4 tablespoons rendered bacon fat,
butter or lard
Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes while you mix up the batter.
In a medium bowl, combine the corn meal, flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. Stir in the 1 3/4 cups of the buttermilk and the egg; add more buttermilk if necessary to make a thick, just–pourable batter.
Remove the skillet from the oven and add the fat to the skillet; swirl it around to melt it and coat the inside completely. Then pour the liquid fat into the batter. Stir until just combined.
Pour the batter into the skillet. Bake until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
