Cornbread Panzanella
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 335
- Total Fat
- 23
- Saturated Fat
- 7
- Carbohydrates
- 28
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 5
- Cholesterol
- 43
- Sodium
- 474
- Total: 1 hr 40 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 45 min
Ingredients
3 slices thick-cut bacon
Day-old Cornbread, recipe follows, cut into 1-inch cubes
Vegetable oil, for the pan, optional
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish, optional
2 tablespoons capers
1 English cucumber, seeded and cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Cornbread:
Vegetable shortening or cooking spray, for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain cornmeal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole buttermilk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
Directions
- Cook the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool, reserving the drippings in the skillet, then chop.
- Add half of the Cornbread cubes to the hot bacon drippings in the skillet and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet and let cool. Add vegetable oil to the skillet if it becomes dry, then brown the remaining cornbread cubes. Let cool.
- Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, basil, capers, cucumber and onion. Toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, or serve right away.
- Just before serving, add the cornbread cubes and bacon and toss. Garnish with additional basil, if desired.
Cornbread:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch baking pan with vegetable shortening or cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, butter, vegetable oil and egg in a separate bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. (The batter will be lumpy and thick.)
- Bake the cornbread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.