Spoon bread, a soft cornmeal dish, is a staple of Southern cuisine. It can be served with various ingredients and is baked in an oven-safe bowl or pie plate.
In the Southern United States, the bread spoon is a vital part of cultural and culinary tradition. Calling it bread is a misnomer, because the real version of this dish is extremely soft and usually served in the same container it was cooked in. The texture reminds some consumers of pudding or casserole, and spoon bread should be eaten with a spoon or fork. The main ingredient in this dish is cornmeal, a classic staple of Southern cooking, and some cooks add ingredients like cheese or greens.
To make the spoon, cornmeal is combined with eggs, butter, and milk. The mixture is pre-cooked before being placed in the kiln for firing and is taken out when an inserted knife is cleaned. The dish is generally served hot, as a side dish, and can be accompanied with gravy or other sauces. Thicker versions of spoon bread can be served in loose wedges or slices, while runner incarnations are generally scooped straight from the pan onto the plate with the aid of a large spoon.
Adding items such as cheese to make a spoonful of cheese or vegetables such as cabbage is not uncommon. Some purists believe this dish should be prepared and served simply, allowing diners to select their own flavoring. Others find it perfectly acceptable to add additional ingredients, including exotic ones like chilies and fruit. Once the basic recipe is mastered, cooks can experiment with additional ingredients and spices.
There are a number of spoon recipes, but the simplest starts with cooking two cups of water, one cup of milk, one cup of stone-ground cornmeal, two tablespoons of butter, and one teaspoon of salt to low heat until the mixture thickens evenly. Next, three eggs are beaten into the mixture, which is poured into an oil oven safe bowl. The bread spoon is baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for about 35 minutes and served hot with a generous mound of butter.
Other ingredients can be mixed together with the eggs. Things like cheese can be grated directly into the batter, but the veggies should be cooked first. For a stronger Southern flavor, the vegetables can be sauteed with bacon or they can be steamed for a low-fat version. The resulting spoon bread can be served straight from the bowl it was baked in or baked in a pie plate and served in wedges like a quiche.
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