Fried cornbread with seafood and Sichuan oil
This makes an impressive lunch for family or friends as cornbread is fried in butter and then topped with a variety of seafood and spicy oil.
Ingredients
For the cornbread
- 60g/2¼oz unsalted butter, meltedÌý
- 3 free-range eggsÌý
- 400ml/14fl oz full-fat milkÌý
- 225g/8oz instant polentaÌý
- 125g/4½oz strong bread flour
- 1 tbsp caster sugarÌý
- 1 tbsp baking powderÌý
- ½ tsp saltÌý
- 200g tin sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
For the dip
- 100ml/3½fl oz full-fat milkÌý
- 100ml/3½fl oz double creamÌý
- 3 free-range eggs, beatenÌý
- 75g/2¾oz unsalted butter
For the seafood
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ tsp minced fresh root ginger
- 3 raw king prawns, heads removed and butterflied
- 6 spears Chinese broccoli or equivalent Chinese greens
- 3 small or medium squid, cleanedÌýand cut into pieces
- 3 king scallops or 6 queen scallops
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp soyÌýsauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauceÌý
- 1 tsp sesame oilÌý
- 3 spring onions, choppedÌý
- 1 tbsp sesame seedsÌý
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the oil
- 150ml/5fl oz vegetable oil
- ½ cinnamon stickÌý
- 1 star aniseÌý
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú Sichuan peppercorns, ground
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakesÌý
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
Method
To make the cornbread, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Whisk the melted butter with the eggs, then pour in the milk and whisk again.ÌýWhisk in all of the dry ingredients and the sweetcorn and trasnfer to a 23cm/9 inch oven proof frying pan, cook on medium heat for 5–8 minutes, until the mixture is set on the bottom. Then place the pan in the oven and bake for 5–10 minutes. Leave to cool and slice.
To make the dip, mix the milk, cream and eggs in a wide shallow bowl. Heat the butter in a frying pan and dip the cornbread slices in the egg mixture. Fry the cornbread in the butter until golden on both sides.ÌýKeep warm.
Meanwhile, to make the sauteed seafood, heat the oil and fry the garlic and ginger. Add the prawns and greens and fry until cooked through. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ìý
To make the oil, place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Leave to steep and cool for at least an hour.Ìý
To serve, cut the cornbread in half, pile with the prawns and greens and spoon over some chilli oil
