The first kitchen lesson this recipe taught me was about sequencing—buttering the pan, heating the oven, and letting melted butter cool a little while the remaining ingredients were gathered and combined. The payoff felt deeply satisfying.
Info
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- From start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 1/4 cups coarsely ground cornmeal
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan
Dressing
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 large cloves garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon caper juice
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped, plus 1/2 teaspoon anchovy oil, optional
- Parmesan, for grating
Salad
- 3 heads romaine, outer leaves discarded, washed, dried and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 16 to 20 thin slices pancetta, cooked crispy like bacon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Make the cornbread: heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together. Whisk in the buttermilk, milk and eggs, then whisk in the melted butter.
- Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch skillet with the remaining tablespoon. Scrape the batter into the skillet and bake until the center is set and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow it to cool. Cube half of the cornbread. (The other half is fair game for butter and jam.)
- Make the dressing: put the mustard, garlic, a pinch of salt and about 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper in a food processor and pulse to blend. While the machine runs, pour in the lemon juice and caper juice. Add the olive oil slowly, then the canola oil. Move the dressing to a bowl and taste it. If it's too lemony, add oil; if it's too oily, add lemon. Stir in the anchovies, anchovy oil and a few tablespoons grated Parmesan. Chill it. (See Cook's Note.)
- Make the salad: heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Scatter the cornbread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until browned and toasty, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Put about three quarters of the dressing in a large bowl and toss the romaine through it. Grate some Parmesan over the leaves. Using a tea strainer or sifter, dust the pancetta with a light, even layer of cayenne. Pile the pancetta and the warm cornbread croutons on top and serve right away.
Notes
On the dressing, I like the classic style but skip the egg yolk. Without the egg, the anchovy flavor matters more—even if you only use a bit of the oil the anchovies are packed in. I prepare the dressing ahead and store it in the fridge door, then combine it with the lettuce at the last possible moment. If the dressing refuses to come together, whisking in a splash of warm water can often help!
