3892. BACON STUFFED CORN CAKES

Makes 6-8 pancakes


Corn Cake Mixture:
1 1/2 cups fine or medium ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil plus some for cooking
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg

Filling:
4 large strips bacon, diced
3-4 scallions, minced
1 cup shredded cheese
Maple Syrup, for serving
Salsa, for serving

Stir together cornmeal and salt. Add boiling water and stir. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so water can absorb.

Stir in milk, olive oil, and egg into batter. Let rest while you make filling.

Bake bacon until crispy at 350 degrees. Dice or crumble the bacon and stir in with diced scallions and grated cheese.

To make cakes, add a drizzle of oil to a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1/4 cup of the cornmeal batter.

Immediately top batter with a small handful of the bacon filling. Spoon another 1/4 cup of batter over the top of the filling so it mostly covers the filling. It's okay if it doesn't cover everything.

Let cook for 3-4 minutes or until the edges are firm around the cake.

Flip cake and cook for another few minutes until they are cooked through.

Serve cakes immediately with maple syrup or salsa!


bacon recipe source: Nick Evans, Macheesmo (@Macheesmo), May 19, 2012

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