Crispy Southern Cornbread

• 1/2 cup buttermilk or soured milk
• 1 TBSP vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP honey or sugar
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 TSP salt
• 1/2 TSP baking soda
• 2 TSP oil or butter for the skillet

Cornbread is not meant to be a sweet cake. According to true southerners, it should be crunchy, grainy with cornmeal, and cooked stovetop in a cast-iron skillet. My grandmother and mother made this cornbread, and it's simple but awesome.

1. Measure buttermilk into a small bowl. Add egg and beat. Stir in oil and honey. 

2. In another bowl, mix cornmeal, salt & baking soda

3. Heat skillet, add butter or oil and spread to cover bottom and sides of skillet

4. Add cornmeal mixture to milk mixture, stir briefly, and pour into hot skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low & cover.

5. Check after 6-8 minutes--cornbread should be somewhat firm in the center and separating from the skillet sides. If you want crust on both sides, carefully flip. Cook until center is almost firm. Turn off heat and let stand--covered if you want a softer crust, uncovered if you want crispy crust. 

6. Serve warm with butter (and honey if desired)