Succotash stew with smoked cheese and sweetcorn cornbread

Method

1. For the cornbread, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Grease a 900g loaf tin with butter and line with baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and stir in the polenta, chilli flakes, grated cheese and spring onions.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten eggs, whole milk, buttermilk (or extra milk) and the melted butter. Mix together well until smooth, then stir in the fresh sweetcorn kernels.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, covering with a loose sheet of foil after about 30 minutes if it’s browning too quickly, until the loaf is well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes away clean.
4. 4. Meanwhile, for the stew, bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the broad beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, then carefully remove the bright green beans from their skins.
5. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden. Add the butter and onion and cook gently for 6-7 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the flour, cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 3 minutes.
6. When the cornbread is cooked, remove it from the oven, take it out of the tin, put it on a wire rack, peel off the paper and leave to cool slightly.
7. Stir the potatoes into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sweetcorn, courgettes and butter beans, then simmer for 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the broad beans and cream, season and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in most of the chives.
8. Ladle the stew into warm, shallow soup plates and sprinkle with more chives. Serve with warm cornbread.