We didn’t think a light and tender 100 percent cornmeal pancake was possible. Until now. This recipe is from chef Ashleigh Shanti at Benne on Eagle in Asheville, NC.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Compote
1
2
2
Pancakes and assembly
1½
4
1½
¾
¾
2
4
Preparation
Compote
Step 1
Cook strawberries, rum, sugar, salt, and 2 Tbsp. water (add ¼ cup water if not using rum) in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are softened and juices have thickened and are syrupy, 20–25 minutes. Let compote cool completely before serving.
Step 2
Do Ahead: Compote can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
Pancakes and assembly
Step 3
Stir milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Let sit until milk curdles and sours, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, whisk cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 5
Whisk eggs into milk mixture, then add to dry ingredients and whisk vigorously to combine.
Step 6
Melt 1½ tsp. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Ladle ⅓ cup batter into skillet. Cook pancake until lacy and browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook just until cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate (or keep warm on a baking sheet in a 300° oven until ready to serve if desired). Working in 7 more batches, repeat process with remaining butter and batter to make a total of 8 pancakes.
Step 7
To serve, divide pancakes among plates and spoon compote over.
How would you rate Lacy Cornmeal Pancakes With Strawberry Compote?
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Reviews (34)
Back to TopAgree with every other review. Served bacon on the side but it didn’t do much for it. The compote was a much better accompaniment. Made the compote with bourbon as I didn’t have rum and it was very good. A bit gritty and tasty corn-y. I might try fine cornmeal instead of medium. Be sure to let the batter spread to get lacy edges - and burn them a wee bit. Tasty. I often make arepas and serve them with sautéed greens and even black beans. These could go savory but maybe with lighter accompaniments as they are lighter than arepas due to the egg.
EssieDee
Stamford CT
4/4/2024
The rum in the compote deepened and made the flavor of the strawberries richer. The pancakes came out very nicely. I used fine-ground cornmeal so nothing gritty about them. The times worked perfectly, once I got the heat right on the cast iron griddle I use. The amount worked perfectly for me, my wife, and my son on weekend mornings. I have shared the recipe with friends who delighted in it as well.
Anonymous
Fredericksburg, VA
2/14/2023
This recipe turned out just as expected even using oat milk (which was all I had). I also used a cranberry compote I already had leftover from making cookies, although I would have preferred the strawberry! As many people have said, it's about managing expectations with this recipe. These aren't fluffy sweet pancakes - they're a little bit gritty and not sweet at all (that's the purpose of the compote). The cormeal flavor is fun for a change of pace. They were super easy, so I'd make them again next time I'm looking for something different for breakfast!
Ashley
Pittsburgh, PA
12/9/2020
I took the recommendations of other reviewers, and substituted buttermilk for the milk/vinegar, and added 1 Tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla. I also whizzed everything in a blender, let everything sit for 10 min before cooking. This strategy helped to reduce the grittiness, helped the pancakes stay together when cooking.
Mary Pat Selvaggio
johannesburg, south africa
8/16/2020
Appreciated the comments that managed expectations of griddle cakes v pancakes. Love the taste and texture. Important to pour the batter thinly, so the cakes are indeed lacy; when we got impatient and tried to make bigger, fatter cakes, they cooked unevenly and came apart. We used 1.5 c buttermilk instead of souring the milk ourselves and it worked fine. Used coarsely ground corn meal. We liked the gritty texture, but others might prefer it with fine ground.
Kerry Walsh Skelly
Merritt Island, Florida
6/21/2020
I just made this recipe for the first time and it was a hit! I was a bit wary going into it because of some negative reviews, but I was pleased with the results. A few things: the compote was very sweet, so I'll cut some of the sugar next time (the pancakes were quite good without the compote too). I also replaced about 1/4 cup of the cornmeal with polenta, which added a nice gritty texture. My biggest complaint is the batter. It was a pain to keep together, and I had to whisk it vigorously and scoop the batter for my next pancake very quickly to get enough of the cornmeal in each cake. I think it was worth it though. Lastly, they are definitely more savory than sweet, but I appreciated that. I will absolutely make this again.
Anonymous
Urbana, IL
6/18/2020
I’ve made this recipe three times and have loved it every time. The first time I made this I used some store-brand yellow cornmeal. The batter is runny and you have to keep stirring it, but it was still great. The second two times I made this recipe I used masa harina corn meal and found that it made a very thick batter. It was still delicious but I wouldn’t call it at all “lacy” like the batter that uses regular cornmeal. Unlike some of the other reviews, I think the key to this recipe (whether the batter ends up thick or thin) is to add enough butter to the hot pan before cooking each pancake. The strawberry compote, in my opinion, is important to balance the savory flavor of the pancakes (though my significant other prefers using maple syrup).
Anonymous
Atlanta, GA
5/31/2020