Cornbread or corn muffins

Many moons ago, the local (and one and only) gas company had a cooking school.  I attended many of their classes, and learned many things.  One evening it was pouring with rain as only a Brissie sub-tropical storm can do.  So when I got off the bus to head into class, I got completely drenched- especially when the bus took off and sprayed me with many, many, many litres of filthy rainwater from the gutters.  I dripped my way into the classroom, squelched over to my seat and proceeded to drip and steam and stream for the whole 3 hours. At least I ended up with some good recipes to take home including this one which is actually for corn muffins; I just happen to shove it into a loaf tin instead.  It is very simple as all good muffin recipes are, and very delicious and great with soup, which is what we had it with.  (Forgive the hanging preposition.)  I think it is best served luke-warm with lots of butter, though it is equally nice the next day cold.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup plain flour

1 cup cornmeal (polenta)

2 tbs sugar

2.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dry mustard powder

black pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

3 tbs grated parmesan  (you can use the cheap stuff in the green canister if you like)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil- I used a mix of olive and peanut oil

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup frozen corn kernels- put them in a Pyrex jug and pour boiling water over for a few mins. to soften

2 tbs chopped roasted capsicum out of a jar

3 stuffed green olives

a few strips of semi-dried tomatoes

extra parmesan for sprinkling over the top

Method:

Throw the finely chopped onion into a small amount of olive oil and fry gently till soft; allow to cool 

Grab a large bowl, and stir the dry ingredients together- flour, polenta, sugar, baking powder, salt, mustard, pepper, thyme and parmesan

Take a medium bowl for the wet ingredients- stir together the milk, oil, eggs and onion

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and stir gently to combine

You need a light hand here; no over-mixing wanted.  The mixture will look crumbly and not quite integrated; this is fine and just how you want it

Stir in the drained corn kernels- gently, remember!

Pour the mixture into a greased and floured loaf tin or muffin tray, and top with the chopped capsicum, olives and tomatoes.  This can be replaced or augmented with 2 rashers of bacon finely chopped if you wish to be carnivorous

Sprinkle over more parmesan, and more pepper if you like

Bake at 200C for about 30 minutes- it may need a few more depending on your oven  (muffins will only take 15-20 mins)

When the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean from the middle, you know it is ready

Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then take it out and place on a wire rack

It will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days, not that it would last that long in my house

sorry about the photos- it was getting dark!

Mr Pickings was making corn chowder for dinner to go with the cornbread

gas containers in Karlsruhe (photo image by Ikar.us)