Saveur

Photo: Chris Granger

Unlike traditional corn bread, this version is soft and rich—more like a soufflé or a spoon bread.

1 tsp. butter
1 lb. fresh loose spicy pork sausage meat
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup white cornmeal
1⁄2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
1  15-oz. can black-eyed peas, drained
3⁄4 cup canned cream-style corn
1⁄2 cup canned chopped green chiles
1⁄2 cup drained sliced pickled jalapeños, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" × 13" baking dish with butter and set aside. Break sausage meat into chunks and put into a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, breaking sausage up with a slotted spoon, until meat is lightly browned and just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausage and onions with the spoon to paper towels to let drain.

2. Whisk cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Beat eggs, buttermilk, and oil together in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring until cornmeal mixture is just moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in sausage mixture, cheese, black-eyed peas, corn, green chiles, and jalapeños. Pour batter into prepared dish, smoothing top with the back of the spoon. Bake until golden brown, 50–60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #78