Corn Bread with Scallions

• Recipe by Paula Disbrowe

After cooking in Europe and writing and editing in New York, Paula Disbrowe packed her high heels and moved to Texas, where she spent three years as chef at Hart & Hind, a fitness retreat and cattle ranch. One result: Cowgirl Cuisine, due out in March, with updated chuckwagon recipes like this tender, lightly sweet corn bread.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 cup coarse, stone-ground yellow cornmeal
3. 2 teaspoons baking powder
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. Pinch of freshly ground pepper
6. 1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
7. 2 tablespoons honey
8. 2 large eggs, beaten
9. 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon corn oil
10. 8 scallions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, honey, eggs and 1/3 cup of the oil. Add the wet ingredients to the cornmeal mixture and whisk just until combined. Stir in the scallions.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot skillet and swirl to coat. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then turn the corn bread out onto a plate. Invert it onto a rack to cool. Alternatively, serve the corn bread hot from the skillet.