Sweetcorn Cornbread
I love this time of year- the few weeks between summer and fall, when the air is crisp and cool, but there are still so many beautiful summer vegetables to be had. It’s the perfect season for chili, stir-fries full of veggies, and creamy corn chowders. It’s fall food, but with one foot still firmly planted in summer. And if there is one thing I love with fall food, it’s corn bread.
But, the problem with cornbread is, you know, cornbread. It’s almost always not quite right… or sticky… or crumbly… or sweet. It’s so rarely what you wanted it to be. Matters are further complicated by the fact that no one can quite agree on what good cornbread should be. Well, you know me, I’m not about taking sides on these kinds of matters. All I know is that I made this cornbread last night. And it was exactly what I wanted. And my husband said it, “might be the best cornbread I’ve ever had.” And my toddler shoveled a huge portion into his face and asked for more. That’s good enough for us.
This cornbread manages to be both substantial and light, both savory and sweet, buttery without being greasy. And as my husband so aptly pointed out, it doesn’t have that weird sticky top that restaurant cornbread has. Cooking it in a skillet makes not only the top, but the edges and bottom perfectly crispy. It’s slightly crumbly without falling apart in your hands. And those little nubbins of sweetcorn strewn throughout? Those ain’t half-bad either. See, this cornbread doesn’t have any sugar in it, but it still has a hint of sweetness because of the corn nubs. It’s glorious- the perfect thing with all those fall foods that I love. It’s nice on its own, with a little honey, but it’s absolute perfection when used to sop up the last little bits of chili or stew.
Ingredients
- Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 medium zucchini
- 3 green onions
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (or 1 tbsp dried mint)
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- sunflower oil, for cooking
- Sauce:
- 1 cup whole milk plain yogurt (or greek yogurt)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and chill, covered, in the refrigerator until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs (except the sunflower oil) and mix well. Shape into 16-18 small burger patties.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Sear the meat patties in batches until well-browned, about 2-3 minutes on each side. You may have to add more oil between batches.
- Transfer cooked burgers to a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and bake in the oven for about 6 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve with sauce spooned over the top of the burgers or on the side.