What is the easiest way to cut corn off the cob?

Spread a dishtowel out on your counter (this is to catch the runaway kernels that like to bounce away), put a shallow bowl on the cloth and firmly hold the top of the ear of corn in one hand in the center of the bowl – it doesn’t matter which end. Use a paring knife in a zig-zag motion to cut the kernels off in strips until you have gotten all the kernels off.

Buttermilk is milk that has been fermented (similar to yogurt) so it is thick and a bit sour tasting. Because it is fermented it works to tenderize everything from pancakes to biscuits to chicken… we even use buttermilk for tenderizing steak! It doesn’t add any taste, but it does make things soft and tender in miraculous ways.

What's the difference between Johnny Cakes and pancakes?

Pancakes are lighter and use flour and sugar as their dry ingredients. Johnny Cakes use cornmeal with the flour, so their texture is heartier and more rustic. They also don't use sugar, so the taste is more savory (and packed with corn flavor!).

How many Johnny Cakes per person?

I usually estimate two to three, since these are more substantial than regular pancakes.

Have a question that I didn't cover?

Leave your question (or comment or suggestion) in the Comments box below the recipe and I will answer pronto!

Fresh Corn Johnny Cakes

Corn Johnny Cakes

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5 from 1 review

Fresh corn, fresh thyme and a little maple syrup team up to make this fresh corn Johnny Cakes recipe something special for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes
Yield: 6 Johnny Cakes 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

Kernels cut from 3 ears of corn (about 3 cups of corn)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, plus a little more for garnish
3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup fine ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Fresh ground pepper
Maple syrup for topping

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Instructions

Put 1 1/2 cups of the corn kernels, the butter and the buttermilk into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the thyme and 1 more cup of the corn kernels (you should have about 1/2 cup of the corn kernels left over for the garnish, give or take).
Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and baking powder together. Add the pureed mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Heat an electric griddle to medium high, or put a large skillet over medium high heat with a little butter in it. I like to use a griddle because it makes the cakes easier to flip!
Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each cake. It’s a thick batter, so you can quickly mush it down a little into a pancake shape.
Cook the cakes for about 2 minutes, carefully flip them and cook them for 2 minutes more.
Arrange them in a stack and top them with a modest amount of maple syrup, a scattering of corn kernels, a little fresh thyme and a grinding of fresh pepper. Serve ’em while they are hot!

Notes

- Corn: This Johnny Cakes recipe is at its very best with fresh corn, but you can also use defrosted frozen corn if you are making this outside of fresh corn season.

- Buttermilk: This thick fermented milk is in the dairy case, usually near the cream.

- Thyme: You can swap out any herb you like for the thyme – oregano, basil and even mint would all be great.

- Cornmeal: We use finely ground cornmeal for this recipe, but you can use a coarser cornmeal if you want an even more rustic texture. Cornmeal is usually in either the baking or the breakfast aisles of your supermarket.

- Maple Syrup: This is optional, but I love love love the hint of sweetness this lends to these cakes.

Find it online: https://www.framedcooks.com/fresh-corn-johnnycakes/