The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HOECAKE WITH KIMCHI, SCALLIONS AND NORI
A hoecake batter is a sludge formed from cornmeal, salt, boiling water, and lard. When fried in a greased, sizzling-hot pan, it develops a crunchy 14-karat-golden crust. Hoecakes are denser than pancakes and both lighter and crunchier than hotwater cornbread. Once a staple of slaves’ diets in the American South, they’re still served with collard greens to sop up the cooking liquid — or potlikker — left behind.This recipe slips maple syrup into the base and makes one big hoecake, with the Asian flavors of kimchi and nori on top. Flipping a single, large hoecake is no easy task. If things get messy, you’ll be grateful for those garnishes.
Preheat a 10-inch castiron skillet on the stovetop, gradually raising the heat from low to mediumhigh so it gets very hot. Meanwhile, make the batter: In a small saucepan, bring 1 1⁄3 cups water to a boil over high heat. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal and salt. Add 2⁄3 cup of the boiling water to the cornmeal and stir to combine. Continue stirring and slowly add 2 tablespoons more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the maple syrup and stir to combine. The batter should be thin enough to slowly pour but thick enough to spread with a spatula. If the batter is too thick to pour, add more boiling water as needed, 2 teaspoons at a time, and stir to combine.
Melt the lard in the hot skillet, tilting to coat, then remove the pan from the heat and pour off the fat into a small heatproof bowl. Add 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the melted lard to the batter and stir to combine. Reserve the remaining melted lard.
Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the reserved melted lard and the canola oil to the pan and tilt to coat. Pour the batter into the pan. Quickly spread and even out the batter with a spatula or knife, leaving some room around the edges of the skillet for flipping. As the batter cooks, gently jiggle the pan from time to time to prevent sticking. As the edges start to solidify and toast, gently slide your spatula beneath the hoecake and begin to loosen it from the skillet. As frying proceeds, slide the spatula closer to the center of the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the edges are crisp and nicely browned and the rest of the hoecake looks set. If your hoecake is completely loosened from the base of the skillet and slides when you nudge it with your spatula or gently shake the pan, flipping should be no big deal.
Cook for about 6 minutes more, until the second side is golden brown; the interior of the cake should be soft. Turn off the heat and garnish the hoecake, in the pan, with the kimchi, scallions, sesame seeds, and salt to taste. Top it off with the nori and serve hot.
Note: Achieving the right batter consistency is important. The coarser your grain, the more water you will likely need to add to the batter. If you’re using a medium grind, for example, you may need to add 2 extra tablespoons (as opposed to teaspoons) to the mixture.
Serves 4 as a side or 2 for lunch.
Per serving, based on 2: 459 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), 6 grams protein, 61 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 21 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 713 milligrams sodium.