A bag of hatch green chiles appear. A challenge follows. Take chiles, transform and return.
Bright. Seedy. Slender in shape, a world of possibility, but I’m quick to lasso an idea.
Work night criteria calls for easy and preferably without a trip to the store.
Hatch Chile Skillet Cornbread delivers.
Hatch Green Chiles
Bbq chiles whole and over direct heat at 350 until nice and charred (about 15 minutes), then place in a paper bag.
Close and steam for twenty minutes.
Open and peel as much char as you wish. The more char left, the more bbq flavor.
Dice and cool.
While cast iron skillet heats at a high temperature in the oven,
Gather Ingredients
You’ll create one bowl dry and another wet, then mix wet into dry.
Fold chiles.
Add butter to the piping hot cast iron skillet, allow to melt, then swirl.
Before adding batter sprinkle one reserved tablespoon cornmeal (this makes for a delightfully crisp top!)
Wait what seems a deliriously long 14-16 minutes for a piece of warm cornbread draped in butter and honey.
Remove. Gawk. Call to every corner of the household. If no one is home or you live alone, this moment is yours, all yours. Behold, crisp, crunchy, soft and spicy.
To share, to save?
Your cornbread,
Your choice.
Hatch Chili Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients:
Skillet Cornbread
- 4 medium Hatch or Aneheim peppers - charred, half peeled, seeded, destemmed
- 1½ cup cornmeal - reserve 1 Tablespoon for sprinkling
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter - melted while preheating skillet
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten - room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk - room temperature
- 1 cup cream corn
- 2 Tablespoons unfiltered raw honey
Instructions
- Place a rack center oven and preheat cast iron skillet at 475° F.
- In a medium bowl whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another small/medium bowl — lightly beat eggs, then add buttermilk, cream corn and honey.
- Add wet into the dry and stir until the batter comes together but isn't over mixed. Fold in Hatch chiles. Taste. Is the batter to your liking? If not, now's the time to add a little more salt or sugar.
- Open the oven. Add and melt butter, about 3 minutes. The butter should be golden, not burnt. Give it one more swirl around the skillet, then sprinkle reserved 1 tablespoon cornmeal across the melted butter. Pour batter into the center, then level batter if uneven.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the top begins to golden, edges are springy to touch and start to pull from the side, and a center knife comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes on a wire rack, then serve warm or let cool.
Notes
- Cornbread keeps wrapped tight and stored room temperature for a couple days but of course is best hour one.
- Cornbread is best re-heat in the oven, as the top gets crisp and the inside soft.
Nutrition
WHEN I WIN THE LOTTERY, i’M HIRING A PERSONAL CHEF.