Cornmeal Hoecakes

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/2 cups stone-ground white cornmeal (white if you are from the south, yellow if from the north) or 1 1/2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal (white if you are from the south, yellow if from the north)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons milk
• bacon drippings (or sausage drippings, vegetable oil, or a combination)
• unsalted butter, softened
• cane syrup or real maple syrup, warmed

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 325°.
• 2 add the cornmeal to a heatproof medium bowl, preferably one with a spout for pouring; stir in the salt.
• 3 place the bowl in the oven for 5-8 minutes to warm the meal through and toast it lightly.
• 4 remove it from the oven as soon as it begins to deepen in color.
• 5 pour the boiling water into the warm cornmeal, about ½ cup at a time, being cautious of the hot bowl.
• 6 stir vigorously, eliminating any lumps; then mix in the milk.
• 7 the batter will resemble a thick gruel; warm a griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat.
• 8 add just enough drippings to coat the surface with a thin film.
• 9 spoon the batter by tablespoonfuls the griddle, leaving several inches between the dollops.
• 10 with the back of a spatula, squash the batter down into cakes about 3 inches in diameter (the batter should bubble merrily; if it splatters menacingly, the griddle is too hot; lower the heat before continuing).
• 11 make as many cakes as you can fit without crowding.
• 12 cook the cakes until the batter appears quite firm (3-4 minutes); these take a little longer than traditional wheat-flour pancakes).
• 13 turn carefully and cook cakes on the other side until medium brown and crispy (about 3 minutes).
• 14 repeat with the remaining batter, adding a bit more water to the batter if it thickens and more fat to the griddle if necessary.
• 15 the cakes are best right from the griddle but you can keep them warm in a low oven on baking sheets while you finish the entire batch; don’t stack the cakes until serving time.
• 16 serve the hoecakes stacked on warm plates, topped with plenty of butter; pass the syrup separately to drizzle lightly over the cakes, if desired.