Recipe Mon Sep 24 2007

Lacey Corn Cakes

By Meghan Murphy Gill

Ordinarily on Sundays, my spouse and I treat ourselves to brunch at one of the many many great brunch spots Chicago has to offer. But this past weekend I suggested we make a run to our favorite grocery store (Harvest Time, a Mexican/Eastern European/Greek market) and make our own brunch at home. It saved us a little money, and if we worked together on the prep and clean up, we'd save a little time, too. The heat is no longer stifling when we turn on the oven or stove, so it was hight time we get back to cooking breakfast.

These corn cakes are a modification of the "Johnnycakes" recipe in Joy of Cooking, a regular resource for me. I added a couple of tablespoons of diced red pepper, green onion and grated cheddar cheese to the batter for extra flavor. The corn cakes work more as a stand-alone meal with the added ingredients.

I think that this is a fantastic alternative to eggs and all their variations when you're in the mood for a savory breakfast/brunch. It's also a great thing to serve vegetarian friends. You can also prepare these vegan by using margarine and omitting the cheese.

Combine in a large bowl:
1 1/2 c stone-ground cornmeal (I used coarse ground and added about 1/2 cup of finely ground meal afterward)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Pour over slowly, stirring constantly to prevent lumps:
2 1/4 c boiling water
Set aside for 10 minutes. Set 2 very large skillets over medium heat. You can also use a medium-hot griddle, set to about 325 F (Or, if you don't have large skillets, you can just do this one cake at a time, which is what I have to do. I don't mind, it's somewhat meditative, although I commented more than once during the process how much I would like a stove top griddle). This is actually when I added the finely ground cornmeal, about 1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese, 2 Tbsps diced red pepper, and 2 Tbsp of sliced green onions.

Divide between the skillets:
2 T butter
When the butter begins to color, add the batter by quarter cupfuls. Using a spatula, smooth the top gently, but allow it to spread out so that the edges become lacy. Allow the cakes to cook, sizzling in the butter until they're really golden around the edges. This will take 6 to 11 minutes. If you try to turn them too early, you'll loose the lacy edge. Joy says to smooth a thin pat of butter onto the top of the corn cake before flipping it, but I didn't find that necessary. Flip and let them cook for about 5 to 10 more minutes (allowing the underside to become golden).

Repeat the process, adding butter or margarine to skillet as needed. I have to cool down my skillet in between batches so as not to burn the butter.

To keep warm, place the corn cakes in the oven on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet.

Serve hot, topped with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of more diced red pepper, green onion and grated cheese.