Johnnycakes are said to the original pancake. Made from polenta, a.k.a. corn meal, rumor has it that the Native Americans used to cook Johnnycakes over hot ashes, and top them with maple sap. We're gonna take it a couple steps further and show you how to make Johnnycakes topped with Breakfast Sausage, poached egg, and maple syrup. And you can teach your kids how to say, "Get in mah belly."
4
0:20
0:20
• ¾ cup boiling water
• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• 4 Breakfast Sausage patties
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• Smoked paprika
• Maple syrup
Double the recipe if you're serving a hungry group of folks.
Boil the water.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Once the water is boiling, add to the cornmeal mixture, and mix together well. Once mixed together, let sit for 1 minute to allow the cornmeal to soften up.
Whisk the milk into the cornmeal. The batter will be pretty lumpy, but it will pack nicely in the ¼ cup measuring cup, and will keep its form in the skillet.
Place a skillet over medium heat. Place the butter in the skillet, and cook until melted. Add the batter ¼ cup at a time to make small pancakes. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, then flip and repeat.
In a separate skillet, on medium-high heat, the Breakfast Sausage patties until lightly browned on each side.
Place about 4 inches of water and ¼ cup white wine vinegar in a medium-size saucepan. Make the water smile, as the French say, by heating it until it is just below simmering - you should only see a bubble pop up every 2 or 3 seconds.
Without breaking the yolks, carefully crack the eggs into 4 separate small cups or bowls. Hold the cup just above the water and gently slide the egg into the water. Depending on the size of your saucepan, you could do 1, 2, or all 4 eggs at a time, but you'll want to be careful to leave space in between each egg in the water.
After 3 minutes, remove each of the eggs with a slotted spoon, and blot them dry with a paper towel.
To serve, place the Johnnycake on a plate. Place the cooked sausage patty atop the Johnnycake. Put the poached egg on top of the sausage patty. Gently sprinkle smoked paprika over the dish. Surround the Johnnycakes with a moat of maple syrup.