Succotash Stew with Smoked Cheddar Cornbread
A hearty succotash stew combining fresh and butter beans, sweetcorn, courgettes and waxy potatoes in a cream-enriched stock, finished with chives. Served alongside a polenta-based cornbread studded with smoked Cheddar, chilli flakes and fresh sweetcorn kernels for a complete meal with complementary textures.
Ingredients
- 12 oz broad beans, podded, fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 7 oz smoked bacon lardonspancetta1:1meatpork
similar smoke flavour
- 3 ½ tbsp butterplain milk with lemon juice150ml milk + 1.5 tbsp lemon juicedairyacidicFull guide →
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock
- 9 oz waxy potatoes, cut into ⅓" dicenew potatoes1:1vegetablestarch
similar texture
- 1 lb sweetcorn kernels, from about 3 large cobsfrozen sweetcorn1:1vegetablefrozen
texture slightly softer
- 9 oz zucchini, topped, tailed and cut into ⅓" dice
- 400 g can butter beans, drained and rinsedcannellini beans1:1legumewhitedairy-free
removes specific flavour
- 7 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- 1 ¾ tbsp butter, melted, plus extra for greasingplain milk with lemon juice150ml milk + 1.5 tbsp lemon juicedairyacidicFull guide →
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp superfine sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 ½ oz dried polenta
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 2 ¾ oz smoked or extra mature Cheddar, finely grated
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten
- 10 tbsp whole milk
- 10 tbsp buttermilk, or extra milkplain milk with lemon juice150ml milk + 1.5 tbsp lemon juicedairyacidicFull guide →
- 5 ½ oz fresh sweetcorn kernels, from 1 large cob or 1-2 mediumfrozen sweetcorn1:1vegetablefrozen
texture slightly softer
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 400°F/fan 350°F/gas 6. Grease a 900g loaf tin with butter and line with baking paper.
- 2
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt into a bowl. Stir in polenta, chilli flakes, grated cheese and green onions.
- 3
Make a well in the centre and add beaten eggs, whole milk, buttermilk and melted butter. Mix until smooth, then stir in fresh sweetcorn kernels.
- 4
Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, covering loosely with foil after about 30 minutes if browning too quickly, until well risen and a skewer comes away clean from the centre.
- 5
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add broad beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water and remove bright green beans from their skins.
- 6
Heat oil in a large saucepan, add bacon and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden. Add butter and onion and cook gently for 6-7 minutes until soft but not browned.
- 7
Add flour, cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in stock. Bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- 8
Stir potatoes into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sweetcorn, zucchini and butter beans, then simmer for 5 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- 9
Stir in broad beans and cream, season and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in most of the chives.
- 10
Remove cornbread from oven, turn out of tin onto a wire rack, peel off paper and leave to cool slightly.
- 11
Ladle stew into warm, shallow soup plates and sprinkle with more chives. Serve with warm cornbread.
Tips
Cover the cornbread loosely with foil after 30 minutes if it browns too quickly to ensure even cooking.
Refresh the broad beans in cold water after boiling to make removing the skins easier and faster.
Use a skewer to test the cornbread is fully cooked; it should come away clean from the centre.
Season the stew to taste after adding the cream and before serving.
Good to Know
Cornbread keeps in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Stew keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 3 months.
Prepare cornbread batter up to 2 hours ahead. Stew can be made 1 day ahead and reheated gently on the stovetop before serving.
Serve stew in warm, shallow soup plates with warm cornbread on the side.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip peeling broad beans from their skins to avoid a tough, chewy texture in the finished stew.
Do not brown the onion to avoid a bitter flavour that will dominate the stew.
Do not overmix cornbread batter to avoid a dense, heavy loaf instead of a light, risen crumb.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
removes smoke note
General Alternatives
texture slightly softer
similar texture