johnny cakes

The name for these cornmeal pancakes comes from VQ -- a little chichi restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Their breakfast menu is superb and the best thing going is their pancakes -- or rather, their johnny cakes.

This recipe is only slightly modified (I swapped oil for butter) from the one found on Bob's Red Mill cornmeal. That means my recipe is from Oregon too.


johnny cakes
serves 3-4

1 C boiling water
3/4 C cornmeal
1 1/4 C buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C all purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 C unsalted butter, melted

Pour water over cornmeal. Stir and let sit until thick (2-3 mins). Add buttermilk and whisk in eggs. Sift flour, powder, salt, and soda into cornmeal mixture. Stir in melted butter. The batter should be slightly lumpy and will be runnier than other pancake batters.

Bake on ungreased griddle. Serve with warm fruit and yogurt or creme fraiche.