Jonnycakes

By John, 23 November, 2013
Region
Rhode Island
Description

Rhode Island JonnycakesThis is a quintessential Rhode Island recipe: simple, tasty, and the source of endless arguments! The Great Jonnycake Controversy is simply "thick or thin?". This recipe is a standard South County thick one.

But there is also the question of the name. Are they jonnycakes (as determined by the state legislature in 1946) or johnnycakes (as held by some highly respected sources) or journey-cakes (as we are told the colonists called them)? 

Journey-cakes? What happened to the "r"? Oh, right. We're in New England!

I love these with a light drizzle of maple syrup. Some like honey. Lobster butter is absolutely extraordinary! 

Yield
4 Servings
Preparation time
20 minutes
Ingredients
1 c Cornmeal (stone-ground, white)
1⁄2 t Salt
2 t Sugar
1 1⁄2 c Boiling Water
2 oz Milk (for thinning, if needed)
Instructions
  1. Heat up a well-seasoned griddle.
  2. Combine dry ingredients. Add boiling water and mix well. This should be all you need. If it is too thick, add milk to reach the right consistency.
  3. Fry on the hot griddle 5-6 minutes, then flip and cook a like amount of time again on the other side.
  4. Serve hot with honey or maple syrup.
Notes
There is much lore about Jonnycakes (also called Johnnycakes and Journeycakes) in The Island Cookbook. It's worth a visit to Kenyon's gristmill in Usquepaugh, RI, or to Adams Grist Mill near Little Compton.
Source
The Island Cookbook