Maple-glazed cornbread with jumbo shrimp, charred corn & chilli tomato ragout
11/2 HOURS|SERVES 4|EASY
There are lots of ways to improve cornbread and you can try all sorts of variations. I like to toast the cornmeal and use a hard fat like bacon or lard for flavour.This will always be a work in progress.
corn on the cob 2 olive oil for frying shell-on prawns 8 large butter 50g red onion 1, finely diced garlic 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped roasted red pepper 1 from a jar, diced plum tomatoes 3, peeled, seeded and diced red chilli 1, finely chopped Tabasco sauce 4 dashes lemon 1, juiced and zested flat-leaf parsley finely chopped to make 2 tbsp CORNBREAD cornmeal 300g bacon fat or lard 2 tbsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar 1 tbsp eggs 2, beaten buttermilk 300ml butter 4 tbsp, melted maple syrup 4 tbsp
• To make the cornbread, toast the cornmeal in a frying pan over a low heat until lightly golden. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. • Put the bacon fat into a 23cm metal or ovenproof frying pan and put in the oven to melt and heat for around 10 minutes. Mix the cornmeal with rest of the cornbread ingredients except the syrup. • Take the pan out of the oven. Pour in the batter (it should sizzle). Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle, take out of the oven then drizzle over the syrup and allow to rest. • Boil the corn cobs in salted water for 5 minutes and drain well. Fry them in a splash of oil, until really charred on all sides. Allow to cool, then slice off the kernels with a sharp knife. • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, add the prawns and allow to sizzle and colour.Turn them over and add the butter.Allow it to foam and start to brown. Lift the prawns out and reserve them.Add the onion and garlic and stir through. After 3-4 minutes, add the pepper, tomatoes, chilli and Tabasco and stir. Put the prawns back in the pan along with the corn kernels. Finish the ragout off with the lemon juice and half the chopped parsley. • Serve the cornbread in the frying pan with the ragout on top and sprinkle over the rest of the parsley and the lemon zest.
PER SERVING 814 KCALS|FAT 43.3G|SATURATES 19.5G CARBS 84G|FIBRE 5.1G|PROTEIN 19.4G|SALT 3.1G