Feast in the MIddle East

Out of all the breads in the world, there is always one type I can never resist, and that is cornbread. I love that cornbread tastes delicious both sweet (with a little butter and honey or jam) or savory, dunked into soups, stews, or chile. In part 2 of my cooking series to celebrate and honor South Africa for their dedication to human rights, I will focus on their Mealie Bread, or cornbread. 

As South Africa is the 9th largest producer of corn in the world, this grain is a huge staple in their diet, feeding millions of people every year. Mealie bread is a popular street food there, where the bread is steamed in large cans. The bread has pleasant grainy texture from whole corn kernels, but you can leave them out, or cream the corn before adding if you prefer. 

For the purposes of the home chef, you can bake the bread in a bread or brownie pan. Once you try this recipe, I guarantee you will never want to buy boxed cornbread again! This recipe has the perfect balance of moist and chewy, savory and sweet. You can add or subtract the amount of sugar depending on your preference for sweetness. You can also add herbs like sage, basil, or thyme.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I love this bread in winter with hearty foods, or in the summer with some barbecued meats. Check out my new video below for the simple recipe! 

Mealie Bread

• 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (95g) cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup full fat sour cream
•  ¼ cup milk plus ¼ cup half and half (or use all whole milk if you prefer)
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and room temperature
•   ½  cup corn (can use frozen) 

• Instructions
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking pan or dish and set aside. Whisk the eggs, then add in the sour cream, milk, half and half, and sugar until well combined. Add in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, corn and salt. Mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.