In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> >> What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
> >> temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
> >> canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
> >> heating from cold.
> >>
> >> In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
> >> the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
> >> mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to
> >> cook through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on
> >> the cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
> >>
> >> Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
> >> stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a
> >> fireplace in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
> >>
> >> Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me,
> >> moist, done through and through, and with that fine crust on the
> >> bottom.
> >
> > The pre-heating the oil sounds like it'd get a better bottom crust.
> > I'll have to keep that in mind next time I make it.
>
> Absolutely! I heat it until it's almost reached its smoking point. The
> batter should sizzle when it hits the pan.

The concept makes sense. :-)

Heaven knows I have plenty of Griswold cast iron! I even have mom's
Griswold corn stick mold somewhere. Just gotta hunt for it.
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous