Rachel Khoo: Cheddar and cayenne corncake

The South Americans love to use corn in their cuisine. I tasted a version of this corncake in a Peruvian restaurant, where it came served with a poached egg and spicy sauce. It’s a pretty versatile and hearty cake or bread, and while it can accompany any number of meals, I think it works best at brunch, either served with a side of bacon and eggs or just a simple tomato salad. I like it studded with little chunks of Cheddar, so I roughly grate for the best results.

Cheddar and cayenne corncake

Serves 4 as an accompaniment

150g coarse cornmeal or polenta

100g plain flour

40g caster sugar

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp baking powder

3 medium eggs

280ml buttermilk

70g cheddar, very roughly grated

2 knobs of salted butter

Tomatoes, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C (fan assisted)/Gas Mark 7. In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal with the flour, sugar, salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk until well incorporated. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg and buttermilk mixture. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk together lightly to combine. Stir in half the grated cheese.

Drop a knob of butter into two 15cm (or one 20cm) cast-iron pans and place in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and swirl the melted butter around the pan to coat the edges. Pour the cornbread batter into the pans, dividing it evenly between them. Scatter the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes (add an extra five minutes if doing this in one pan). Test it by inserting a knife or skewer — it should come out clean. Remove from the oven; the butter should be bubbling up the sides. Leave to cool slightly before removing and slicing. Serve with a tomato salad or with an English breakfast.