Buttermilk Blue Cornbread

Buttermilk Blue Cornbread

While we might have lost most of our crop variety since the commercial adoption of monoculture, there are still some people out there trying to preserve America’s great heirloom varieties. Marsh Hen Mill, a family-owned farm on Edisto Island, SC is one of them, growing and milling their own heirloom grains like Sea Island red peas, Carolina gold rice, black eyed peas, and Blue Corn. 

Sea Island Blue Corn was brought to South Carolina by Native Americans, most likely the Chicora Tribe, and thought to be considered a ceremonial crop. As you pull your cast-iron cornbread out of the oven, take a moment to consider the rich history of this sacred ingredient as it passed through the hands of Native Americans, Spanish explorers, English colonists, and American settlers. 

This cornbread is soft, moist, gorgeous to look at, and so easy to make! 

Ingredients:

1. ½ Cup Butter, Melted

2. ½ Cup White Sugar

3. 2 Large Eggs

4. 1 Cup Buttermilk

5. 1.5 Cups Sea Island Blue Cornmeal 

6. 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour

7. 1 Tbsp Salt 

8. 1 tsp Baking Powder

9. Heron Farms Sea Beans, for garnish

Note: Whole Milk is the ideal substitute, if you don’t have buttermilk, but any milk alternative will also do the trick! (Just cook your bread for a few less minutes if using a nut milk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Spray your cast iron skillet with non-stick coating

3. Melt butter

4. In a bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar, salt, and whisked eggs

5. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, AP flour, and cornmeal

6. Combine all your ingredients until it's smooth & thick

7. Pour into your cast iron and garnish with sea beans

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes

9. Once cooled, lather with boiled peanut compound butter and enjoy!

Crispy Buffalo Wings

Hey Football Fans,

Have you ever tried making buffalo wings at home for game day? I’m sure most of you have before…. BUT have you made really delicious restaurant quality ones? Probably not. Today i’m going to tell you the secret to Crispy, Crunchy, and Tangy Buffalo Wings that are perfect for the big game.

The Wings

Alright - so the main thing we want to do with the wings is give them a nice crunchy outer skin layer without adding any breading. In order to do that, we’re going to want to reduce the moisture from the inside of the wings. So first, we’re going to PAR bake the wings on a wire rack so the fat and extra water that’s inside the wings can drip out below. (par bake means that we aren’t going to fully cook the wings. We don’t want them to dry out on us.) Once the wings are par baked, we’re going to pull them out of the oven and let them rest. Then, we’ll give them a quick seasoning, toss them in baking powder, and bake with whatever method you prefer. Air fry, fry, or bake these up for a crispy golden delicious exterior and a tender juicy interior.

The Sauce

Use about 6-8 oz. of your favorite hot sauce and mix with 2-4 Tbsp of melted butter, depending on your heat preference. Toss the crispy cooked wings in the sauce and serve with chopped parsley or green onion, bleu cheese, and some carrot and celery sticks!

The Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pat your wings dry with paper towel, then salt.

3. Place wings on a wire rack into preheated oven for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.

5. Salt & Pepper the wings and lightly coat them in baking powder

6. Cook the wings using preferred method (Bake, fry, or air fry) until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

7. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

8. Toss your wings in the sauce you made

9. Plate and serve with blue cheese, carrots and celery sticks, and garnish with parsley or green onions.

10. Enjoy!

Keep spreading love, good people!

Best,

Chef Jake

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