Hot Water Cornbread
Ingredients
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1 1/2 to 2 cups boiling water
vegetable oil for frying
Hot water cornbread is an Native American food item and is unique to the South. European explorers made cornmeal into cornbread. The cornbread is a mixture of cornmeal and water cooked on top of a skillet in cooking oil.
Instructions
Pour about 1/2 inch of oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet. Heat the oil to about 350° or until glistening but not smoking. In a large thick plastic or metal bowl combine the self-rising corn meal with about 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Carefully stir to combine. The batter should be pourable. Add additional water until you reach the consistency of thick pancake batter. Different corn meals will require different amounts of water. Start with less and add more if you need it.
Once the oil is hot, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the oil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until brown around the edges then carefully flip over and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Work in batches, adding additional oil if necessary. Drain the cornbread on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve warm.
Notes
You'll obviously need two cups for this recipeCan't find self-rising cornmeal? Try this...For every 1 cup of self-rising cornmeal: Start with 1 cup of finely ground plain corn meal in a bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal and return it to the bag. To the bowl add 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together.
Recipe and image courtesy of Hot Water Cornbread - Southern Bite