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    Bacon cornbread

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    *mandatory

    Bacon cornbread

    Southerners continue to debate the perfect cornbread recipe – with or without eggs, flour or sugar – but the idea of adding bacon is always a winner. If you’re vegetarian, this version is just as good without the meat. 

    • Preparation time: 15 minutes
    • Cooking time: 30 minutes
    • Total time: 45 minutes 45 minutes

    Serves: 8

    Ingredients

    75g smoked bacon rashers
    150g polenta
    150g plain flour
    1tspsalt 
    1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    1⁄2 tsp baking powder
    284ml tub buttermilk
    1 egg, lightly beaten
    2 tbsp maple syrup
    4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted


    MAPLE BUTTER GLAZE
    1 tbsp unsalted butter
    1 tbsp maple syrup 

    Method

    1 Preheat the oven to 200 ̊C, gas mark 6. Chop the bacon as finely as possible (use scissors if it’s easier). Fry in a 20cm ovenproof frying pan until golden – about 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and dry on kitchen paper; set the pan aside. 


    2 In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. In a separate jug, beat the buttermilk, egg and maple syrup, then whisk into the dry ingredients along with the bacon bits. Stir through 3 tbsp melted butter until combined.

    3 Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter to any leftover bacon fat in the frying pan; heat until foaming. Tip in the batter and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon; bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze by melting the butter and maple syrup together.

    4 Brush ½ the glaze over the top of the cornbread, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush over the remaining glaze and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving while still warm. 

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    This recipe first appeared in Waitrose Kitchen magazine. myWaitrose members can download the Waitrose Kitchen app edition for FREE. Find out more.

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