Hot Water Cornbread - Depression Era Recipe

Step 1

To a large bowl, add cornmeal and salt and mix well.

Step 2

To the cornmeal and salt mixture, add the lard and 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Mix well until the cornmeal is fully saturated.

Step 3

To create a loose "pancake" batter, slowly add the remaining water to the mixture until you obtain the desired texture.

Step 4

Heat approximately 2 tablespoons of lard in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Once the fat is melted and sizzling, but not smoking, using a 1/4 cup measure pour 4 dollops ("pancakes") of the batter into the hot melted lard and fry each "pancake" for approximately 5 minutes on each side.

Step 5

Once fried, transfer each "pancake" to a paper towel-lined plate.

Step 6

Continue to fry all the batter in 1/4 cup dollops, adding additional lard to the frying pan as necessary, until you finish all the batter.

Step 7

Serve warm plain or topped with butter, jam, or maple syrup. Enjoy!