Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook - Bobby Flay [62]
4. Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, brush the tops with the cream, and sprinkle with the black pepper. Bake the biscuits until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Brush the biscuits with the melted butter and transfer them to a wire rack to cool at least slightly.
TOMATO CORN BREAD
This corn bread has an unusual twist. In many ways, it is a very traditional recipe made with stone-ground yellow cornmeal, tangy buttermilk for moisture, and just a touch of sugar so that it is savory rather than sweet. Cooked in a cast-iron skillet, the inner crumb is tender and crumbly while the bottom crust is beautifully crisp. What elevates this corn bread beyond the norm is that mystery ingredient—tomato powder. I can’t imagine how many tomatoes it takes to make even a couple tablespoons of the powder, but the flavor and scent are unadulterated, concentrated tomato essence. The powder mixes evenly into the batter, and each bite is laced with its pure taste.
Makes 1 (9-inch) round corn bread
1½ cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons fine salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons tomato powder (see Sources)
1½ cups buttermilk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Nonstick cooking spray
1. Heat a dry cast-iron skillet in the lower third of the oven while preheating the oven to 425°F.
2. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
3. Whisk together the eggs, tomato powder, and buttermilk in a bowl. Add to the flour mixture with the melted butter and whisk until just combined.
4. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and spray the bottom and sides with nonstick cooking spray. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake until light golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 18 minutes. Unmold and let cool slightly on a wire rack before cutting into pieces and serving.
Corn Bread Sticks
CORN BREAD STICKS
Served as part of the bread basket at Bar Amercain, these hot-from-the-oven corn sticks are one of the recipes requested most by diners.
Makes 14
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 4 tablespoons (½ stick), melted and cooled
2 large shallots, finely diced
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature, plus more if needed
2 large eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush cast-iron corn stick molds with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil and place in the oven on baking sheets.
2. Melt the 1 tablespoon butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture along with the shallots and mix until just combined. Add more buttermilk if necessary to thin to just pourable consistency.
5. Carefully remove the hot molds from the oven and fill each mold to the top with some of the batter. Bake the corn sticks until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before unmolding. Using the tip of small sharp knife, gently lift the corn sticks from the molds. Serve warm.
CHIPOTLE BRIOCHE
This rich, buttery bread, spiked with a bit of smoky heat, is the perfect complement to the sweet lobster salad in the Lobster Club and the sharp cheeses and green tomatoes in the Grilled Cheese. It’s also great just sliced