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Simple cornmeal cakes with crisp, golden edges and tender centers, sweetened only by a drizzle of honey from bees that know your region. An American heritage dish that asks almost nothing of you except good ingredients.
Start with the cornmeal. Stone-ground, from a mill that cares about the grain. You will know the difference the moment you open the bag. Fresh cornmeal smells alive, sweet and earthy, like a field in late summer. The industrial kind smells like nothing at all.
Johnnycakes belong to the American story. Native peoples taught colonists to make them. Rhode Islanders have been arguing about the correct spelling for centuries. What matters is this: they are corn and water and heat, transformed into something crisp at the edges and tender within. The technique is forgiving. The ingredient is not.
Find a local mill if you can. Many farmers markets carry stone-ground meal, sometimes still warm from grinding. This is the kind of food that connects you to a place. The corn was grown somewhere. The bees that made your honey foraged somewhere. When you eat these johnnycakes, you are eating your region.
A drizzle of local honey is the only adornment they need. Good food does not require complication. It requires attention to what you start with.
Quantity
1 1/2 cups (200g)
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 tablespoon, plus more for serving
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
Quantity
2 tablespoons
melted, plus more for the pan
Quantity
1/4 cup
Quantity
for serving
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| stone-ground cornmeal | 1 1/2 cups (200g) |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon |
| local honey | 1 tablespoon, plus more for serving |
| boiling water | 1 1/2 cups |
| unsalted buttermelted, plus more for the pan | 2 tablespoons |
| whole milk or buttermilk | 1/4 cup |
| good butter | for serving |
| local honey | for serving |
Place the stone-ground cornmeal and salt in a medium bowl. Give them a quick whisk to combine. You will smell the corn immediately if your meal is fresh. That fragrance tells you everything about what is to come.
Pour the boiling water over the cornmeal, stirring as you go. The mixture will thicken quickly and become a soft, porridge-like mass. Stir in the tablespoon of honey. Let this rest for five minutes. The corn needs time to absorb the water and soften.
Stir in the melted butter and milk. The batter should be thick but pourable, like a loose oatmeal. If it seems too stiff, add another splash of milk. If too thin, let it rest a few more minutes. The cornmeal will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.
Set a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a generous pat of butter and let it melt, swirling to coat the surface. The butter should foam gently but not brown. This is the right temperature.
Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the hot surface, about two tablespoons each. Flatten gently with the back of your spoon. Cook until the edges look set and the undersides are deeply golden, about three to four minutes. Flip carefully. The cakes are delicate.
Cook the second side until golden and crisp at the edges, another two to three minutes. Transfer to a warm plate. Add more butter to the pan between batches. Serve the johnnycakes warm with a pat of good butter and a generous drizzle of local honey. They do not need anything else.
1 serving (about 145g)
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