Lemon Blueberry Cornbread Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 fresh lemon
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425ºF, and set the cast iron skillet inside while it warms so the pan gets hot too. Grate the zest from the lemon, aiming for about 1 tsp, then squeeze out about 1 Tbsp of juice.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the dry ingredients with your hands for a moment, just enough to coax out those lemony oils.
3. In another bowl, whisk the milk, oil, egg, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice until smooth. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, then stir only until everything is moistened. Don’t fuss over a few lumps; they’re perfectly fine.
4. Take the hot skillet out of the oven carefully. Drop in 1 Tbsp butter, and once it melts, brush it across the bottom and up the sides of the skillet.
5. Scrape the cornbread batter into the hot skillet. Scatter the frozen blueberries over the surface, without thawing them first, then gently press them down into the batter with your fingers.
6. Carefully put the skillet back in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top and edges are a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool a bit, then cut into 8 pieces and serve.