Fried Cornmeal Mush

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 tbsp bacon drippings or butter, for frying
• Maple syrup or sorghum, for serving

Before you cook

• Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on the long sides.
• Whisk the cornmeal together with the 1 cup cold water in a bowl until smooth; this slurry is what keeps the mush from lumping.

Steps

1. Bring the 3 cups water and the salt to a hard boil in a heavy saucepan.
2. Pour the cornmeal slurry into the boiling water in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
3. Keep whisking for 2 minutes as the mixture thickens.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook 25 minutes, stirring down to the bottom with a wooden spoon every 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the tablespoon of butter and check the texture; the mush should be thick enough to hold a peak.
6. Scrape the mush into the lined loaf pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
7. Cool on the counter 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, until firm and sliceable.
8. Turn the loaf out and cut it into slices about 1/2 inch thick.
9. Dredge each slice in the flour and tap off the excess.
10. Heat the bacon drippings in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
11. Fry the slices 6 to 7 minutes per side, leaving them alone until a deep golden crust forms and they lift without sticking.
12. Serve hot with maple syrup or sorghum poured over.