OT question: avoiding shortening for cornbread?

I've noticed the more authentic (ie, not in a "cooking healthy/ light/
lowfat/ etc" book) cornbread recipes always call for shortening to
coat the pan.

Tish...

Jo Firey...

I haven't traveled enough to know just what is unique to the south. But
quite a few things are. I'm at a loss as to how to describe cornbread.
There are just so darn many very different wonderful ways to make it.

And no one knows how to fry anything like a good southern cook.

Sam...

Amen to that, Jo. And Lord knows I married a champion!

Cajun is another whole wonderful world.

Would it be a disaster to use spray Pam or something instead?

jmcquown...

Not a ridiculuous question and the only reason I use shortening and is
because I bake my cornbread in an 8" cast iron skillet and shortening keeps
it seasoned. Sure, use PAM if you want. It won't hurt :)

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

Not if you're baking it! (Actually, i thing the REAL
"original" cornbread - also called "hush puppies" -
contained no shortening at all, but was was deep fried, like

Monique Y. Mudama...

I wasn't sure, so I bought some shortening. It claims to be about
half the fat of butter, so maybe shortening isn't as bad as I thought.

doughnuts.)

sriddles...

Ooo. I love hush puppies. That's one of the things I miss on the
heart-healthy diet. Around here, though, hush puppies are different
than cornbread, more highly seasoned and have onion in the batter and
kind of bite-sized. Best when served with fried catfish. :-)

Monique Y. Mudama...

I've made cornbread with onion (and green chiles and cheddar) before.
Yummy, just different.

But I agree; hush puppies are different. They have that almost
crunchy outer coating around a soft center. I do think they're deep
fried.

Fried cornbread is just, well, fried cornbread. Just a thicker batter,
and you fry it in hot oil. Like you're cooking a pancake, but more oil.

Monique Y. Mudama...

Don't think I've had this before.

jmcquown...

Fried cornbread is like cornmeal pancakes. Nothing wrong with them, mind
you :) Hush puppies definitely have minced onion. Never heard of hush
puppies cooked in butter. Shortening and/or lard, yep.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

Oh yes, definitely lard, for preference - but deep-fried,
anyway. I haven't had any for a very long time, so I don't
remember how they were seasoned, but if you guys say they
contain onion, I'll take your word for it. They certainly
had more flavor that what I've had as "cornbread" since -
perhaps the difference lies in the seasoning.

Karen...

When you use vegetable oil to deep fry, it actually get sucked into the
food, permeating it, using lard the outside cooks and what clings to it
is all you get. Lard is actually less fatty to fry in.

If you ever want an eye opening experience, Read The Good Fat Cookbook

Monique Y. Mudama...

Hum ... is there a way to address this for oil fondue?

by Fran McCullough.

sriddles...

I've never heard of them fried in butter either. I don't see how anyone
could--can't see how you could get the butter hot enough to deep fry

Julie Cook...

Well, Sam, you could crumble the cornbread into regular sweet milk, it's
just as good that way.

and keep them from all falling apart.

I just don't have much use for shortening, so I don't see the point of
buying any (okay, and I just got back from the store when I had this
idea about cornbread).

Is shortening what gives it the crunchy edges?

Should I just suck it up and go to the store? This particular recipe
calls for half a stick of butter, so I don't suppose using spray
instead of shortening will exactly make this "healthy."

sriddles...

I always use Pam. I cook my cornbread in a well-seasoned iron skillet
though. Pam would work well on nonstick pans too I'm sure.
Normally (or at least around here)....the pan is coated well with
shortening, and then heated very hot in the oven before you pour your
batter in. That could very well contribute to crispy edges.
The butter just keeps the cornbread from being crumbly. I never put
butter in it either, and it turns out fine; just not as moist as with
butter.