My friend Marvin Woods taught me everything I know about Low-Country cooking, the regional cuisine commonly referred to as soul food. In many ways, soul food is an apt description because there is a lot of soul and spirit and passion that goes into Low-Country cooking—dishes like she-crab soup, catfish stew, shrimp and grits, red rice, hoppin' John, and baked macaroni and cheese. No Low-Country feast would be complete without corn bread.

　　My version is steamed in a water bath to make the bread nice and moist; covering it with aluminum foil for the last thirty minutes of cooking gives you a nice crust that isn't overly browned. Paired with tomato chutney, it's a light snack or meal on its own.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 loaves

　　4 ears fresh corn, shucked

　　2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

　　1 cup polenta

　　2 tablespoons baking powder

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 teaspoon mild chili powder

　　1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

　　1 tablespoon black onion (nigella) seeds (see Tip)

　　2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

　　2 poblano chiles, seeds and ribs removed, chopped

　　Butter to grease the pans

　　Tomato Chutney

　　

Step 1

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the corn and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain. When the ears are cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cobs. Place 1 cup of the corn kernels in a bowl and set aside. Place the remaining kernels in a blender and puree. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 3

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, polenta, baking powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, ginger, cardamom, and black onion seeds. Stir in the brown sugar, chiles, corn kernels, corn puree, and 2 cups water. Mix to combine.

　　

Step 4

4. Butter two 8 1/2 × 4 1/2-inch loaf pans and divide the batter evenly between them. Let rest for 20 minutes.

　　

Step 5

5. Place the pans in a shallow baking dish filled halfway with water and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes.

　　

Step 6

6. Turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack and let cool. Serve with the tomato chutney.

　　Tip:

　　Traditionally found in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, black onion seeds are making their way into mainstream cooking. They add a sharp, peppery flavor that I really like. Look for them in Middle Eastern and Indian markets or order them online.

　　Reprinted with permission from New American Table by Marcus Samuelson, © October 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.