Summer Hoecakes

Makes 4 cups batter for 32 small cakes

Hoecake, griddle cake, corncakes, corn pone, johnnycake, cornbread, corn dodger . . . the list of names goes on and on. There’s a misconception that the term hoecakes comes from slaves cooking corncakes on a hoe in the field, alluding to their lack of cooking equipment. In truth, hoe was a colloquial term for “griddle” dating back to at least the 1600s in parts of England, where baking cakes on boards or griddles was commonplace. Cornbread was for many years the basic bread of the poor, rural South for many reasons. Compared to wheat, corn is four times more productive per acre, requires only one-tenth the seed, and takes one-third the time from planting until it can be used as food. Also, corn is a crop that can be harvested over a period of time instead of all at once. Lastly, corn can be eaten fresh during the summer and ground into grits or meal to eat throughout the year.

At their most simple, hoecakes can be a mixture of ground corn, fat, and water. I love doubling up on the corn flavor by including fresh corn kernels, and believe me, canned corn just isn’t the same. I’ve also added some chile peppers for a bit of heat.

• 2 cups finely ground whole-grain white or yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1½ cups water, more if needed
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Kernels from 1 ear fresh sweet corn (about ½ cup; see method here)
• ½ jalapeño, or to taste, seeded and chopped
• ½ bird’s-eye or other Thai red chile, or to taste, seeded and chopped
• Canola oil, for frying

1 In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the egg and 1½ cups water. Stir until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; add the green onions, corn, and chiles. The batter should be pourable, not stiff; you may need to add a little more water depending on the texture of the cornmeal. (If it’s fine, you might need to add more water.)

2 Heat a thin sheen of oil in a cast-iron skillet or large griddle over medium heat. Ladle 2 tablespoons of the batter onto the heated skillet. Repeat with additional batter, filling the pan without crowding.

3 Cook the cakes until the bottoms are a rich brown and bubbles form on the tops and along the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Serve each batch immediately while you continue to fry up the remaining cakes, adding oil to the skillet as needed between batches.