James Villas

Hot-Water Cornbread

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Makes about

    1 dozen

    cornbread cakes

Appears in

The Glory of Southern Cooking

The Glory of Southern Cooking

By James Villas

Published 2007

Essentially, hot-water cornbread is the same as hoecakes, a cornpone that can be traced back to Indian societies in the South and to our Colonial ancestors. Eventually the bread became more complex, as leavening, milk, and flavorful fats were added to the batter and better cooking equipment was made available. Today, nothing is loved more in Southern farmhouses or rural cafĆ©s than hot water cornbread served with sorghum or molasses. To produce the right dense crust and tender interior, itā€™s almost obligatory to cook the bread in very hot oil, in a heavy cast-iron skillet that maintains even heat.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Ā½ teaspoon baking powder
  • Ā¼ cup whole or 2 percent milk
  • 1 tablespoon bacon grease
  • 1Ā½ cups boiling water
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Method

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, sugar, and baking powder and stir till well blended. Add the milk and bacon grease and stir just till the mixture is moistened but still a little lumpy. With a wooden spoon, gradually add the boiling water, stirring constantly till the batter is the consistency of boiled grits.

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat about Ā½ inch of oil till very hot but not smoking, and drop the batter into the oil in batches, by Ā¼-cupfuls. Fry till the cakes are golden, about 3 minutes on each side, and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Ā© 2007 All rights reserved. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.