Cornbread with Crispy Smoked Bacon, Crème Fraîche & Pesto

SERVES 4

150g / 1 cup cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp coconut sugar, sifted

1 tsp sea salt

¼ tsp dried chilli flakes

180ml / ¾ cup buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

30g / 2 tbsp salted butter

drizzle of olive oil

8 slices of smoked streaky bacon

4 tbsp crème fraîche (or sour cream)

4 tbsp fresh pesto

1 red chilli, finely sliced

Preheat the oven to 230°C / 450°F / gas mark 8.

Add the cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt and chilli flakes to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

In a smaller bowl, mix the buttermilk and egg, beating with a fork to combine.

Add 20g / 1½ tbsp of the butter to a small ovenproof frying pan (about 20cm / 8in diameter) and melt, then let it turn to a brown butter. Remove from the heat, stir the butter to cool slightly, then gradually pour the brown butter into the wet ingredients, whisking constantly (to avoid cooking the eggs), then add this to the dry ingredients and fold to create a batter.

Heat the remaining butter in the same frying pan on a medium heat and, once sizzling, reduce the heat slightly to low–medium and add the batter. Spread out to the edges, then gently and evenly pat down with a spatula, frying for 2–3 minutes (don’t stir) to form a nice golden crust on the base. Transfer to the top shelf of the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes.

Use a skewer to check that it’s cooked through, then transfer the hot pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely before turning the cornbread out onto a plate. Wipe out the pan, then heat a small drizzle of oil in the pan on a medium–high heat. Once hot, add the bacon and fry for 8–10 minutes until crispy.

Quarter the cornbread, plate up and top with a dollop of crème fraîche, pesto, crispy bacon and some fresh chilli.