shishito gruyere cornbread w/ shishito aioli

Ina Garten has developed a jalapeño cheddar cornbread recipe, and that’s the measure for a true staple. Shishito peppers, though, have been thoroughly abundant at the farmers markets near me. I love them grilled, in sandwiches, and pretty much in everything. These teeny baby peppers usually run from 50-200 scoville heat units, but about 1 in 10 really pack a punch.

Ingredients

cornbread

1 cup ground cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup milk, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup shishito peppers, deseeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups gruyere, shredded, divided

aioli (optional)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large egg

2 shishito peppers

4 garlic cloves, smashed

juice of 1/2 a lemon

pinch of salt

cracked black pepper

1/2 cup avocado oil

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare an 8 by 8 baking pan by greasing it and lining it with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter and milk. Add the eggs and whisk until combined. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and fold. Fold in the shishito peppers and 1 cup of the gruyere.

3. Transfer the batter to the baking pan and top with the remaining gruyere and extra shishito peppers. Bake for 30-33 minutes until golden brown.

4. To make the optional aioli, add the olive oil, egg, shishito peppers, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cracked black pepper to a blender. Blend until well combined. Slowly stream in the avocado oil while blending, and blend until thick. Serve the cornbread with the aioli on the side.