Since learning all about cornbread it has become a staple of the Shack household as the perfect accompaniment to hot spicy chillis, salty barbecued meats and a downright tasty alternative to every day white bread. So when researching on pancakes and I came across these quick fry beauts I was intrigued. A cornbread pancake sounds too good to be true, I don't even have to bake to get my cornbread fix.
The hoe cake is the original pancake, before they evolved into the wheat flour version which we know today. The story goes that back in the day the field hands working in the crops had only corn meal and water or milk if they were lucky along with their hoes to cook on over a hot fire. They would clean off their hoe and put it over a hot fire to cook the bread on the flat surface. Some even say it might go all the way back to the Indians who did make something very similar to the hoe cake, and many still do, called Indian fry bread or a Johnny cake.
Serve sweet or savoury and enjoy as a tasty alternative at any time of the day.
Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl.
Make a well and add the egg and some of the milk and whisk slowly incorporating the milk gradually.
Incorporate all of the milk to create a thick batter.
Heat some butter or bacon fat in a cast iron pan until it is nice and hot then add a ladle full of the batter but don't over crowd the pan.
cook on each side for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through.
Serve and enjoy!