George Washington’s Hoecakes

Ingredients

2 ½ cups white cornmeal

3-4 cups lukewarm water

½ teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon melted butter (plus extra for the pan)

Honey or maple syrup for serving

Instructions

• In a large bowl mix 1 ¼ cups of the cornmeal and 1 cup of the lukewarm water, stirring to combine thoroughly. Mix in ½ cup more of the water, if needed, to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 200°F.

• When ready to finish the hoecakes, begin by adding ½ to 1 cup of the remaining water to the batter. Stir in the salt and the egg, blending thoroughly.

• Gradually add the remaining 1 ¼ cups of cornmeal, alternating with enough additional lukewarm water to make a mixture that is the consistency of waffle batter. Cover with a towel, and set aside at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

• Heat a griddle on medium-high heat, and lightly grease it with vegetable oil. Preparing 1 hoecake at a time, drop a scant ¼ cup of the batter onto the griddle and cook on one side for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. With a spatula, turn the hoecake over and continue cooking another 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.

• Place the hoecake on a platter, and set them in the oven to keep warm while making the rest of the batch. Drizzle each batch with melted butter.

• Serve the hoecakes warm, drizzled with melted butter and honey or maple syrup.

Recipe from Mt. Vernon