Fried Cornmeal Mush
This is a simple recipe that saw a lot of American folks through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Don’t discount it just because it’s simple – it’s a good honest meal that will feed a family when times are tough. And anyway, Fried mush makes for a darn good breakfast!
Don’t let the name “mush” scare you – it’s really the same things as porridge. Mush is what we call it here down in the Southern US. Adding a nice grilled crust to the outside of the porridge is delicious and I suggest y’all give it a try.
Fried Cornmeal Mush is similar to another recipe we have featured: John Wayne’s Corn Dodgers. You’ll also find that fried mush is similar to the Fried Cream of Wheat in our cookbook Faith, Family, and the Feast.
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Cornmeal Mush
Start by mixing your salt into the cornmeal. You want plain yellow cornmeal, and as fine a grain as you can get. The finer the grain, the better the mush.
Add the water and stir. Let the cornmeal sit while it soaks up the water. After this is done, bringing the cornmeal to a boil will cause the grains to soak up even more water, and this will be mush when it thickens.
Let rest in the ice box. This is going to cause the cornmeal to firm up enough to fry.
How to Fry Cornmeal Mush
The important step to frying porridge, or cornmeal mush, is letting it firm up in the ice box until it’s closer to a solid loaf. This makes it easier to slice, easier to place into the skillet, and easier to flip, all without losing its shape.
Tip: Grease your spatula so you can easily flip the fried mush.
Slice the chilled loaf into slices similar size as a piece of bread. Heat some butter in a hot cast iron skillet. When the butter is melted, add a few slices of mush in there. Brown all over until it is set up. However long it takes to cook is how long to cook it! I’d estimate 3 minutes on each side, but really, it’s done when it looks like you want to eat it.
Cook these in batches. Serve warm with syrup, butter, maybe a couple of eggs. And after you say grace, thank all of those that came before us for passing their wisdom, their faith, and their grit on to all of us.
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Fried Cornmeal Mush – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 4 cups water divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Syrup and butter for serving
- Powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl. Combine the salt and cornmeal. Whisk in 1 cup of the water, until smooth.
- In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
- Stir the cornmeal mixture into the boiling water, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
- Pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
- Remove from the fridge, score the outer edges and dump onto a cutting board. Slice into ½- inch thick pieces.
- Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cornmeal slices to the skillet and fry each side until golden brown. If cooking in batches, you may need to melt more butter, for frying.
- Serve warm with syrup, butter or sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.