Recipe: Newport County-Style Thin and Lacy Jonnycakes (and suggested uses)

NEWPORT COUNTY-STYLE THIN AND LACY JONNYCAKES
New England USA

1 1/2 cups cold milk (or water)
1 cup finely ground white cornmeal, preferably whitecap flint cornmeal*
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Spray your largest cast-iron skillet with the oil, and set it over medium-low heat to preheat it.

Put the cold milk into a medium bowl and pour in the cornmeal and salt, whisking vigorously. Add the butter. The batter will be suspiciously thin, but don't worry.

Raise the heat under the skillet. You want that skillet good and hot, enough so that the batter will sizzle when you drop it in. When it is ready, drop the batter onto the skillet, using a tablespoon to make 3-inch-wide jonnycakes, or a teaspoon to make adorable petite ones, and tilting the skillet as needed to make them round. Each and every time you spoon up batter, always stir or whisk it like the dickens, otherwise the cornmeal will settle on the bottom. Please note: At first the cakes will look so filled with holes that they will appear impossible to flip, and you'll think something's wrong. It isn't.

These cakes take a little longer to cook than usual - 4 to 5 minutes for the first side. It's time to flip when all the little holes except those at the edge have filled in, and the top is almost dry. Turn one cake, using the thinnest spatula you own, and if it holds together neatly and is nicely golden brown, you're there. Allow 3 to 4 minutes for side two.

*White cap flint cornmeal is ground from the corn variety of the same name.

ONE CAKE, MANY USES
Use Newport County-Style Thin and Lacy Jonnycakes as follows:

FOR HORS D'OEUVRES (IN SMALL SIZE):
- With low-fat sour cream or tofu sour cream and chives (optional sea eggs for those who like it)
- With a spoonful of peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes (preferably a mix of red, yellow, and green assorted heirlooms, at high summer) with a little shredded basil and a grinding of coarse salt.
- With a dab of not-too-oily basil pesto
- With a minced pitted kalamata olives, a small cube or crumble of feta cheese, and a dill sprig.

WITH A MAIN COURSE (IN LARGER SIZE):
- Chili of any kind, or any spicy bean ragout.
- Corn chowder, particularly in a spicy one.
- Chilled red pepper soup or golden gazpacho.
- Large mesclun salad with avocado, fresh corn kernels, scallions, crumbled goat cheese or tofu, fresh tomatoes, well-drained black-eyed peas, a cilantro vinaigrette.
- Tempeh glazed with apple cider and maple syrup, with steamed beans and baked winter squash.

FOR DESSERT:
- With height-of-season, fresh, local strawberries and a drizzle of lavender honey (this, to me, beats strawberry shortcake - no whipped cream needed).
- With peach ice cream topped with raspberries and pureed fresh peaches.
- With bananas sauteed in butter and brown sugar, flamed with rum, served with pineapple-coconut sorbet.

Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as an appetizer
Source: The Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon