Time to Fry Up (or Shoot Up) Corn Dodgers

 

  by Cindy Regnier

Hardtack (in a musem!)

I started this post by thinking I would research an awful thing called “hardtack”
that was familiar to sailors and soldiers. I eventually discovered there wasn’t much good to say about the stuff often referred to with such delicious sounding names as “shipbiscuit”, "tooth dullers," "sheet iron" or "molar breakers" digestible leather," or "ammo reserves.". In case you’re interested though, you can make hardtack with three simple ingredients, flour, salt and water. Roll it into squares and bake it until every trace of moisture is gone, then let it dry some more until it gets even harder. Sounds yummy, huh? None for me, thanks.

So I left the hardtack post behind for now. The rabbit trail I went down from there took me to a thing called a corn dodger, which I found much more interesting (and palatable!) These are an item frequently baked and eaten by the American pioneers in their westward migration or by cowboys on cattle drives. The corn dodger was apparently a little tastier despite the fact that it didn’t last as long.

Many stories exist about corn dodgers and it’s hard to say which are true for sure. Some probably are factual like Abraham Lincoln was raised on these little oval cornmeal cakes and George Washington Carver took them to school in a lunch pail for the midday meal. One that is definitely fiction but still my favorite is that Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) used them for target practice in the movie ‘True Grit.’ 

 

Remember the scene where Rooster offered Mattie Ross a corn dodger from his pocket as they sat on a dark hilltop? Mattie refused the corn dodger because she couldn’t see well enough to check and “some of ‘em got blood on ‘em.” Unless I missed that part, we never learn why Rooster’s corn dodgers were bloody, but I digress.

The first corn dodgers date back to the early 1800s and were made from a mixture of cornmeal, pork fat, salt and boiling water commonly referred to as “hot water cornmeal.”   Basically, these ingredients were usually available and perhaps, all the food to be had on a wagon train. What else would you make out of corn meal and pork fat over a campfire?

The coarse dough was shaped into individual size oblong loaves and baked. Corn dodgers were referred to with different names and variations to the cooking method depending on the use and area of the country. Some were pan fried in oil (corn pone),

fried on a griddle (johnnycake). Ashcakes were wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked over campfire ashes. Hoecakes looked like miniature pancakes and cooked over the campfire on the flat side of a garden hoe or shovel.

Most 19th century recipes yielded corn dodgers that were dense, gritty and hard as a brick. This only served to make them last longer. Besides, you could use them for target practice right?

Corn dodgers are still eaten today and a staple in some parts of the country. The recipe has been improved, however. Start by replacing the appetizing ingredient of pork fat with butter or oil. (Whew, that’s a relief!) then add a little sugar to bring out the cornmeal’s sweet side. Replace some of the water with buttermilk for better flavor then add some baking soda and baking powder to lighten up the dodgers. An egg gives it a nice creamy interior instead of the old-fashioned coarse texture.

I even found a recipe for you to try if you’re interested, no campfire required.

Corn Dodgers
2 TB corn or vegetable oil, divided
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
Tap water
Heat oven to 450. Brush 1 TB of oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk the cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the water, buttermilk and butter in a large saucepan. Whisk the cornmeal mixture into the liquid. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the water is absorbed and the mixture is very thick, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until warm, about 10 minutes. Whisk the baking powder and egg in a small bowl, then stir into the cornmeal mixture. Fill a medium bowl with tap water. Scoop out a generous 2 tablespoons of the mixture and, using wet hands, form into a 4-by-11/2-inch loaf shape. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining mixture, spacing the dodgers about 1/2-inch apart. Brush with the remaining TB oil. Bake until deep brown on the bottom and golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through baking, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the corn dodgers to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm (Keep leftovers in the refrigerator, not your pocket!)

Have you ever eaten a corn dodger? What are they called in your area? I’d love to see your comments about them.

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area Cindy is married to her husband of 39 years, has two grown sons, a son residing in heaven, and two beautiful daughters-in-law. A graduate of Kansas State University with majors in Agriculture and Business, Cindy works for her local school district as clerk of the board of education and is active in her church and community. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.

Johnny Cakes Recipe

This post is brought to you by Janalyn Voigt.

One staple of the American frontier came to early settlers by way of Native Americans. Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth in 1620 lost most of the wheat they’ carried with them to spoilage. The Pawtuxet Indians prevented their starvation by teaching them how to grow and pound corn into meal from which they made cakes.

Pioneer Kitchen Image from an old catalog ca. 1873
by Internet Archive Book Images [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons

No one is exactly sure how johnny cakes came to be named. Several theories exist. Some believe that the name represents a slurring of “Shawnee cakes”  (another name for johnny cakes). Others say that the Indian term for “corn cake”, “janiken,” gave rise to the name. johnny cakes also were known as “journey cakes” for their portability. Other names for cornmeal flatbread include johnnycakes, ashcake, battercake, cornpone, corn cake, hoe cake, hoecake, mush bread, pone, jonakin, and jonikin.

Many variations exist, but the simplest johnny cakes recipe includes only cornmeal, boiling water, and salt. I use yellow cornmeal since I like the taste best, however a traditional johnny cakes recipe often call for white cornmeal. Keep the batter fairly thin. This ensures that your johnny cakes won’t be doughy in the middle. You only want them about 1/4-inch  thick. They can be baked in a greased pan or fried. Frying in bacon grease follows a long tradition, but butter works as well. Enjoy them drizzled with maple syrup.

Johnny Cake Recipe

Image by Douglas Perkins (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup milk
• Bacon grease or butter
• Maple Syrup

Instructions

1. Place cornmeal in a mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup with a spout for pouring.
2. Stir salt into cornmeal.
3. Add boiling water and mix.
4. Add 1/2 cup milk and mix just until blended.
5. Heat bacon grease or butter in a skillet or iron frying pan.
6. Pour batter into skillet to make a 4-inch cake.
7. Let cook until brown around the edges.
8. Loosen the cake with a spatula and flip.
9. Cake the other side until brown.
10. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers.

Look for her upcoming western historical fiction releases in the Montana Gold series.

This multi-faceted author also writes in the romantic mystery genre. Deceptive Tide (Islands of Intrigue: San Juans) releases this month.

Beginning with DawnSinger, Janalyn's epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven, carries readers into a land only imagined in dreams.

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt and her writing at http://janalynvoigt.com.

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to discover worlds of adventure in the great outdoors with her family.