27. GOLDEN CORN CAKES TOPPED with GOAT CHEESE and BACON

serves six; makes approx. 20-24 corn cakes


5 thick slices(4-5 oz.) bacon
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears of corn)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
about 5 oz. creamy goat cheese, divided
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
vegetable oil for sautéing
1 bunch of green onions, including 2 inches of green stems, chopped

Saute bacon in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat until crisp, and drain on paper towels. Chop coarsely and reserve for garnish. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in skillet and discard the rest.

With skillet over medium heat, sauté corn and onions, stirring, until onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup of the goat cheese and whisk to blend. Add cornmeal, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cayenne. Mix well. Stir in sautéed corn and onions; mixture will be thick.

Generously coat the skillet in which the corn and onions were sautéed with a thin film of oil, and place over medium heat. When oil is quite hot, drop 1/8 cup batter for each corn cake into pan, leaving space around each to allow for spreading. Flatten each cake slightly with a spatula. Cook until golden brown on bottoms, about 1 minute, then turn and flatten again and cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until golden brown on bottoms and cooked through.

Drain on paper towels. When one batch of cakes is done, remove to a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Continue until all the batter has been used. (Corn cakes can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cool to room temperature and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Reheat, uncovered, on an ungreased baking sheet in preheated 400-degree oven until crisp and heated through, 5 to 8 minutes.)

To serve, arrange corn cakes on a serving platter, top each cake with a generous teaspoon of the remaining goat cheese, and sprinkle with green onions and bacon.


courtesy of: The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2004. (85 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105). pp. 138-139