Fried cornmeal mush
A breakfast of fried cornmeal mush served with butter and maple syrup conjures up fond childhood memories. Once your fork cut through the crispy edges, it was nice and creamy in the middle. I seem to recollect sausage links might have been a frequent companion to the meal.
I am not sure where this food originates. I grew up in central Illinois and both my mother and my father also ate it as children. Coming from the Corn Belt I can believe it might be a Midwestern dish, but somehow it seems more southern. When our kids were little I occasionally made it for them, so our family has been eating it for at least four generations. It’s certainly cheap to make, so that may be the main reason behind the tradition.
One of our daughters asked me about cornmeal mush this past weekend. Ten minutes later I was stirring up a batch, to be sliced and fried the following morning. It was every bit as good as I remembered.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups water, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Additional butter and/or cooking oil for frying
Directions:
Bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add the salt. Stir the cornmeal into 1 cup of cold water. Slowly add the cornmeal to the boiling water, whisking continuously. Turn down the heat, continue to stir or whisk mixture until it’s very thick, and cooked, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in butter.
Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour the cornmeal mixture into the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To prepare, cut the loaf into 3/8-inch thick (1 cm) slices. Melt a little butter in a non-stick or well-seasoned skillet. (Sometimes I will add a little cooking oil to the butter, too.) Add the mush to the pan and fry until crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook other side.
