Gluten-free chilli cornbread

Golden polenta and frozen sweetcorn make a deliciously different alternative to your regular loaf – best eaten fresh from the oven

  • Prep:20 mins
    Cook:30 mins
    plus at least 2 hrs soaking
  • Serves 6
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 200
  • fat 6g
  • saturates 3g
  • carbs 29g
  • sugars 3g
  • fibre 1g
  • protein 7g
  • salt 1g

Ingredients

  • 200g polenta or fine ground cornmeal
  • 284ml pot buttermilk
  • 25g butter
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp baking powder (look for a gluten-free one)
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 50g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Method

  1. Lightly toast the polenta in a dry frying pan for 3-4 mins, stirring to ensure even cooking, until the polenta has heated through, is fragrant and small patches are starting to turn golden brown. Take off the heat, tip half into a large bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir well, cover and leave to soak for 2-3 hrs.

  2. Melt the butter in a 25cm ovenproof frying pan (a cast-iron one is perfect) and heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Stir the butter and the remaining ingredients, including the rest of the toasted polenta and 1/2 tsp salt, into the buttermilk and polenta mixture. (Don’t wipe out the frying pan – the slick of butter will ensure the bread doesn’t stick.)

  3. Put the pan back on the heat and turn up the temperature. Pour the mixture into the pan – it should sizzle as it hits it, like a Yorkshire pudding. Put the whole pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown and firm in the middle. Leave to cool a little, then serve cut into wedges.

Suggested recipes from this collection...