Bill Neal’s Skillet Corn Bread

Bill Neal was a pioneer in the rediscovery of traditional Southern cooking. He owned a restaurant and produced three excellent cookbooks. He also loved gardening and raised three children.

This is Bill’s “Company Corn Bread,” from his outstanding book, Biscuits, Spoon-bread, and Sweet Potato Pie (Knopf, 1990). This com bread, with a higher proportion of cornmeal to flour than in most, was a staple when 1 had a summer house. Bill died in 1991, but by baking his recipes, I like