Green Chilli Cornbread on the Gas Grill

Take your cornbread somewhere genuinely exciting — smoky, a little spicy, and cooked on the grill for that subtle char you just can't get from an oven. The star here is the roasted green chilli: blistered directly on the grates until the skin blackens and the flesh softens into something sweet and smoky. Folded into a simple cornbread batter and finished in a cast iron pan on the grill, this is the kind of side dish that quietly steals the show at any barbecue.

Ingredients

• 4–6 fresh green chillies (Hatch-style if you can find them, or use Anaheim or long green chillies)
• 150g fine polenta (cornmeal)
• 120g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 240ml whole milk
• 60ml rapeseed oil, plus extra for the pan
• 100g grated mature cheddar (optional, but excellent)

Method

1. Preheat your gas grill to high — around 220–230°C. You want it hot enough to blister the chillies quickly.
2. Place the whole chillies directly on the grates over the highest heat. Grill for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over and the flesh has softened.
3. Transfer the charred chillies to a bowl, cover tightly with cling film, and leave to steam for 10 minutes. This makes the skins easy to peel.
4. Peel away and discard the skins, remove the seeds and stems, then roughly chop the flesh. Set aside.
5. While the chillies steam, turn one side of your grill down to medium (around 180°C) and place a 25cm cast iron frying pan on that side to preheat for 5 minutes.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the polenta, plain flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
7. In a separate bowl or jug, beat the eggs, then stir in the milk and rapeseed oil.
8. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined — don't overwork it. Fold in the chopped roasted chillies and grated cheddar if using.
9. Carefully remove the hot cast iron pan from the grill using oven gloves. Add a small splash of rapeseed oil and swirl to coat the base and sides.
10. Pour in the cornbread batter and spread it level. Return the pan to the medium-heat side of the grill, close the lid, and cook for 20–25 minutes until the top is set, the edges are pulling away from the sides, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
11. Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing and serving warm.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.