Uptown Hoe Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for something unusual to serve for breakfast or brunch, I think you'll love this recipe. These thin and savory pancakes are packed with flavor and take grandma's hoe cakes to another level. They are made with corn in several guises, but the real flavor boost comes from the roasted red pepper sauce that is served with them. The recipe is similar to the one that is used at the Wishbone Restaurant in Chicago. The hoe cakes are very simple to make and everything, except the addition of egg whites, can be done the day before you plan to serve them. This batter is probably thinner than most you have worked with, but it will make lovely little cakes. The instructions I have call for making pancakes that are two and one-half inches in diameter and I do do that when I'm not rushed. When time trumps intent, I opt for standard size pancakes. The red pepper sauce comes together in minutes and has the added advantage of being wonderful with plain grilled chicken. In case you're wondering why these are called hoe cakes, they got the name because they were originally cooked on the flat of a hoe over an open fire. Here's the recipe sans the hoe.

Uptown Hoe Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Hoe Cakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon + 1 pinch salt, divided use
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2-1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs, separated
1-1/2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup cream-style corn
2/3 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine or white vermouth
3 shallots, minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and pureed or two whole roasted red peppers from a jar, drained, patted dry and pureed

Directions:
1) To make sauce: Combine wine and shallots in a saucepan and reduce by half over medium-high heat. Add cream and cook until reduced by half. Lower heat to medium-low and whisk in butter a piece at a time, until it emulsifies. Whisk in pureed bell pepper. Keep sauce warm over very low heat. If it separates, it can be whisked together again.
2) To make the hoe cakes: Mix flour, corn meal, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Place buttermilk, egg yolks, tabasco sauce and butter in a second bowl. Whisk to combine. Stir in creamed corn, corn kernels, green onions and bread crumbs. Add flour mixture and stir just to blend. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
3) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour or spoon in batter to form cakes in 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Cook until bubbles form on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn cakes and cook until they spring back when touched, about 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as necessary. Keep warm in a low oven or serve immediately drizzled with some sauce. Yield: 32 hoe cakes.

This recipe is being linked to Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday