From Faith Middleton Cornbread, corn muffins, corn pudding—if it's corn-centric, I'm all in. That's why I love to serve savory corn pancakes for supper.
I like to think of a corn pancake as a raft, a vehicle for anything wonderful that comes to mind. My new favorite topping for these savory buttermilk corn pancakes is shrimp, diced tomatoes, and crumbled bacon, served with a dollop of lime zest sour cream, all of which can be prepared ahead.
This recipe was adapted from Ceri Marsh's cookbook, How to Feed a Family. I like her corn cakes because they include buttermilk and frozen corn. (I make a batch for my gluten-free pals by using King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose flour.)
The toppings are where I go to town. Ceri's recipe is all veggie, but I like shrimp with corn, and bacon, and sometimes I add diced avocado and onion, or cooked Spanish chorizo. You can follow my recipe exactly, or freelance; the point is, don't be afraid to experiment. In fact, let us know what you chose as a topping for your savory corn pancakes. (A little cayenne in the batter, anyone? Do you prefer lobster over shrimp?)
Chris Prosperi and I made up the sauce on the side; it's a snap. Mix together sour cream and the zest of a lime.
TOPPING INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4)
Cooked, shelled shrimp for four
One cup diced fresh cilantro
Two cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
SAVORY CORN PANCAKES INGREDIENTS:
1 cup frozen corn
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 Tbsp. white vinegar + 2 cups milk, left to stand for 10 minutes)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus a bit for the pan
1½ cups cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp sugar
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped from white to to beginning of green
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Pour the frozen corn into a small bowl and set aside to thaw. Separate the eggs and whip the whites into soft peaks.
- In another bowl, mix the egg yolks with the buttermilk and oil.
- In yet another bowl (sorry about all the bowls), mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Add the egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the thawed corn and scallions. Gently fold in the egg whites. Allow the batter to stand for 10 minutes before cooking.
- Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup of batter for each pancake into the hot pan, allow bubbles to form along the edges of the pancakes, flip and cook for a couple of minutes. Serve by topping corn pancakes with cooked shrimp, cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and a dollop of lime zest sour cream. To make this gluten-free, you can substitute gluten-free flour or make a gluten free cornbread recipe that you like.
?Recipe from How to Feed a Family: The Sweet Potato Chronicles Cookbook by Ceri Marsh and Laura Keogh. Published by Random House, 2013.
?Wine Recommendation
Ventana Chardonay $14
The distributor is Goodman Eder
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GUESTS:
- Chris Prosperi is senior contributor and chef/owner, Metro Bis, in Simsbury, CT
- Alex Province is with Allan S. Goodman/EderBrothers Wine Distributors.
- Ceri Marsh is co-author of the cookbook How to Feed a Family: The Sweet Potato Chronicles Cookbook.
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