Sweet Corn Pancakes

Corn pancakes made with fresh corn. Doesn't that sound like the perfect summer breakfast dish?  Where I live people are poised and ready for that first plump, sweet ear of corn and if the weather permits, we have fresh corn through September.  I grew up preferring white corn and white cornmeal and felt yellow corn was inferior.  When I was younger I was told that white corn was for people and yellow corn was for the animals.  Now I know that is just silly.  They taste very different and it is really just a matter of preference.  White corn such as silver king is sweet and delicate whereas yellow corn varieties such as the hybrid mirai  are firmer, sweet and has more of a corn taste.  There is also bi-colored corn that is a bit of both worlds.   These days I enjoy them all.  The only animals I need to feed are my family and they readily line up for fresh corn any way they can get it, grilled, boiled or creamed.

Corn is one of those seasonal veggies that we look forward to and mostly enjoy in the summer months.  Freezing left over corn, cooked or fresh, in portions for recipes such as these cornmeal pancakes is a real treat during the year when corn is not in season. For this recipe, cornmeal is softened by soaking it in buttermilk for 20 to 30 minutes before mixing in the rest of the ingredients.  This makes a pancake with a nice crunch around the edges with a tender crumb rather than being somewhat mealy like some cornmeal pancakes are.  Then add fresh or leftover cooked corn and these pancakes become something really special.  Maple syrup is the proverbial icing on the cake!

Make these for a casual breakfast served with maple syrup and a side of bacon.  You can't go wrong starting your day with these!

Cornmeal Pancakes with fresh corn
inspired by Joy of Cooking  2006 ed., Cornmeal Pancakes
makes approximately 12 5-inch pancakes

1 cup (170 g) white or yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar, honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup (355 mL) buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup (50 g)all purpose, unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup corn kernels (166 g) about 1 ear of corn

Mix the cornmeal, sugar salt and buttermilk and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.  Mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda together and set aside.

Heat a griddle to medium heat.

Mix in melted butter and then the egg.  Mix in the flour mixture into the batter until blended.

Cook on a buttered griddle for 3 minutes per side or until done.

Enjoy with maple syrup which goes incredibly well with these pancakes.


Substitutes for buttermilk or homemade version of buttermilk (this is good to use when you cannot find buttermilk or it is needed in a pinch but it is hard to beat the quality and taste of real cultured buttermilk):

To make buttermilk:  1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar added to 1 cup of milk and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.  The milk will curdle slightly, just mix and use.

Substitutes:  Sour cream thinned to the consistency of buttermilk or thick milk.  Or 2 tablespoons of milk with enough yogurt added to equal 1 cup.  If the yogurt is very thick then 3 tablespoons plus yogurt to equal 1 cup.