Courgette cornbread with crispy bacon & maple butter

1. Bake the cornbread and make the maple butter the day before. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Butter and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper.

2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk lightly with a fork, then stir in the buttermilk. Combine the polenta in a separate bowl with the flour, ½ tsp salt and baking powder. Stir in the wet mixture until well combined, then tip in the sweetcorn, chilli, salad onions and courgette. Stir well to combine, then set aside for 10 minutes for the polenta to absorb some of the moisture.

3. Give the batter another stir, then tip it into the lined loaf tin. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer pushed into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Set aside to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

4. For the maple butter, beat the maple syrup into the softened butter using a handheld or electric whisk, until light and fluffy. Cover and chill in the fridge, until needed, or for up to 3 days.  Remove and allow to soften slightly when needed.

5. To serve, cut 2 slices of cooled cornbread per person and lightly butter them on both sides with the maple butter. Fry in a large frying pan over a high heat, or grill under a medium heat until golden, then turn and repeat on the other side. Meanwhile, fry or grill the bacon rashers, until cooked through and crisp. Serve the hot toasted cornbread with the bacon and a spoonful of extra maple butter on top.