Fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, Hot Water Cornbread is a delicious pan-fried side dish. It's perfect as a sweet treat with butter and syrup, or as a side for any Southern meal!
1cuplight oil for fryingsuch as canola or vegetable
Instructions
Set a kettle to boil to prepare your boiling water.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt, and mix well with a fork.
When the water is boiling, carefully measure out 1 ½ cups and pour it all into the bowl containing the dry ingredients.
Mix well to combine.
Add the oil to a large cast iron skillet, and preheat over medium to medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, scoop about 2 tablespoons of corn mush into your hand, and gently roll the corn mush into a ball between your hands. Press it between your palms to flatten the ball so that it’s about a ½-inch thick and the patty is about 2 ½ inches across.
Place the pressed patties in the hot oil.
Cook until the bottom side is a light golden-brown, then gently flip it over, and cook the second side in the oil. Cooking to golden-brown will take about 1-1/2 minutes per side. If it’s cooking faster than that or getting too dark, reduce the stovetop temperature.
When both sides are golden-brown, move the cornmeal patties to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
Working in batches, finish cooking the rest of the cornmeal mixture.
When all of the cornmeal is cooked, serve hot.
Notes
Please do not skip boiling the water! This is a make-or-break step in the recipe.
The corn mush is pretty sticky, so working quickly will help it to not stick to your hands. You can also lightly grease or butter your hands to make working with the dough easier.
To keep the patties warm while cooking in batches, keep a baking sheet in the oven preheated to 200 degrees F and transfer the cooked cornbread patties to it.
These patties can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen either pre-cooked or as leftovers. Leftovers can just be reheated and raw patties can be brought to room temperature and fried.