Cornbread

• butter↗50g g

  plus extra for greasing

• small onion1

  finely chopped

• fine cornmeal↗225g g
• plain flour↗140g g
• sugar↗1 tbsp tbsp
• baking powder↗2 tsp tsp
• salt↗1 ½ tsp tsp
• buttermilk2 x 284ml ml

  (or same amount of semi‑skimmed milk with a dash of lemon juice)

• eggs↗2

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 230 °C / fan 210 °C / gas 8. Grease a 23 cm baking tin or a heat‑proof skillet with a little butter. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan. Add the onion and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until soft.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, sift all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the buttermilk and eggs, then add the buttery onion. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, forming a batter.

3. 3

   Pour the batter into the tin or skillet and smooth the top with a knife. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then invert, cut into portions and serve. It can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container, or frozen for up to 1 month.