I’ve been cooking on the radio again! As the photo shows, I made batch of hoecakes–which look like pancakes, but are actually a type of old fashioned cornbread popular in parts of the South. I used a Mississippi recipe from an interesting new book of authentic American regional fare.
The book, The Food of a Younger Land, by Mark Kurlansky, features material researched and written by a wide variety of authors and funded by the WPA back in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Government’s plans to publish the Federal Writers’ Project effort called “America Eats,” were abandoned when the U.S. entered World War II. The papers lay buried in boxes in the Library of Congress until Kurlansky sifted through them and put together his new work.
NPR Weekend All Things Considered asked if I would make something from the book, and since American culinary history is a one of my major areas of interest, I was happy to oblige. I chose hoecakes because they are plain and simple subsistence fare and about as American as any dish can be. And, oh yes, as NPR interviewer Jacki Lyden said when she tasted them, they are very, very good; click here to follow along as we made and talked about hoecakes in my kitchen. (We discussed the reason for the name hoecakes; they were originally baked on a hoe held over a fire.)
Hoecakes look a bit like pancakes, but because they are unleavened and prepared with only cornmeal, salt, water and fat for frying, they are thin, crisp, and quite corny–not light or puffy or reminiscent of today’s typical pancakes at all. Like most fried doughs, they are best rushed right from the hot skillet to the kitchen table. I like to fry them with an ample amount of fat–a tablespoon each of butter and corn oil per every four cakes–so I don’t find it necessary to add any more butter at the table. (But you could add a pat if you really wanted to!) Jacki and I and producer Petra Mayer ate them with a country ham and potato soup from the book, which made a humble and homespun but enormously gratifying meal.
Hoecakes
Old-time American cooks hardly ever measured anything, so you don’t have to be exacting with this humble recipe either. For each six to eight cakes desired, stir together the following, gradually adding more water until the consistency just “looks right.”
Use either white or yellow cornmeal., as desired. The amount of water will vary depending on the brand and level of freshness of the cornmeal, so start with a smaller amount and gradually add more if necessary.
1 cup white or yellow cornmeal
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
Scant 2/3 cup to 3/4 cup water, or more as needed
Butter, bacon grease, lard, solid shortening, or vegetable oil (or a combination) as needed
In a medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal, salt, and enough water to obtain a gruel-like consistency. Let stand while heating a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until thoroughly heated. Add 2 tablespoons fat (I like half butter and half oil) for each four cakes prepared.
Continue heating the skillet until a drop of water sizzles when sprinkled on its surface. Using about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons batter for each cake, spoon out generous tablespoons onto the griddle or skillet (usually about 4 at a time), keeping them well separated. Immediately pat and spread them out into thin rounds. The thinnest rounds will make the crispest hoecakes.
Cook until crispy and lightly browned on one side, then carefully turn over with a wide-bladed spatula and cook until crisp and brown at the edges on the second side; this usually takes 3 or 4 minutes. Serve immediately, with butter, and honey or syrup, if desired.
Makes 6 to 8 3-inch hoecakes. The recipe may be doubled or tripled as desired.
Lots of bad hushpuppies out there. When you find some good ones, you will know it!
I know Charleston a little–my husband went to the Citadel and we have been back to visit. A beautiful city.
I didn’t grow up with hoecakes, but really, really like them. Not so thrilled with hush puppies. Maybe they just weren’t made by the right cook!?
I was born and raised in South Carolina (Walterboro…tiny town close to Charleston. My grandmother use to make hoe cakes except they were made with flour and cornmeal. She prepared it in a cast iron frying pan. She flipped them while they were in the pan to cook both sides. When brought to the table you torn off a piece and ate it like bread. OOOOOHHHHH were they good. She passed away many years ago and I failed to get her recipe but have fond memories of an awesome treat. Another treat would be hush puppies….aaahhhhh the memories.
i think i need to try making some hoecakes.