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Title: Common Hoe Cake (Or Ashcake)
Categories: American Heirloom Pancake Corn
Yield: 4 Servings

1cWhite cornmeal
1/2tsSalt
  Boiling water

Mix cornmeal and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir in enough boiling water to make a stiff dough. Mix thoroughly. Cover and set dough in a cool place for several hours. Bake hoecakes by one of the following methods:

Heat a griddle hung on crane over flames. Grease lightly with melted lard. Shape dough by hand into flat cakes 1/2" thick and about as round as a small saucer. Lay as many cakes as will fit on hot griddle and bake turning, until browned on both sides. Brush griddle with melted lard between each baking.

Form into cakes as above. Sweep ashes from hearth in front of fire and spread out the cakes. Let them dry a few minutes, then cover with hot ashes and bake about 15 minutes or until firm. Brush off ashes, using a little water to clean them before serving. Hoecakes may be covered with oak leaves before covering with ashes, if desired.

Put the prepared cakes on a heated hoe or heavy board propped up in from of the fire. Brown on one side, then turn and brown on the other.

From Rocky Top

In the memories of some of us, few things can be better than a meal cooked on an old wood stove, a soft feather bed on a cold winter night, or the sound of a old mountain tune played on a dulcimer or banjo. I hope that this page can help preserve, or rekindle, some of these memories for you or maybe help create an interest in our mountain heritage for other people. Your ideas, stories, pictures, recipes, or other affairs about plain living in our southern highlands is welcome.

J. B. Simpson Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, N.C. jb@mail.fayrech.cc.nc.us

From: Jim Weller Date: 12-30-97 (22:27) The Once And Future Legend (1) Cooking

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