50
tasteofthesouthmagazine.com /
taste of
the
south
Whenever I see or use cast iron, I think
about spending time withmy father at
deer camp. For my father, deer hunting
wasn’t somuch about tracking and
shooting the big buck. It was more about
getting away fromwork, hanging out
with his buddies, and cooking. Some of
his favorite cast-iron dinners were pan-
fried cube steak, corned beef hash, and
cornbread. For breakfast, we’d have
bacon and okra griddle cakes.
Andy
Thoms
Chef, Fig Jam Kitchen & Bar,
Atlanta, Georgia
bacon and okra
griddle cakes
Recipe courtesy of Andy Thoms,
Fig Jam Kitchen and Bar,
Atlanta, Georgia
Yield: approximately 1 dozen cakes
4
slices bacon
1
cup chopped fresh okra
1
1
⁄
2
cups self-rising white cornmeal
mix
1
1
⁄
2
cups all-purpose flour
1
tablespoon sugar
1
2
⁄
3
cups whole buttermilk
2
large eggs, lightly beaten
3
tablespoons butter, melted
1. 
In a large skillet, cook bacon over
medium heat until crisp. Remove
bacon, reserving rendered bacon fat
in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
Add okra, and cook in bacon fat until
crisp and tender.
2. 
In a bowl, whisk together corn-
meal mix, flour, and sugar until well
blended. Whisk in buttermilk, eggs,
and melted butter until dry ingredi-
ents are just moistened. (There will
be small lumps.) Add okra and bacon
to batter.
3.
Spray a well-seasoned cast-iron
skillet with nonstick cooking spray,
and heat over medium heat. Drop
batter by
1
⁄
4
cupfuls onto hot skil-
let, and cook like pancakes for 2 to 3
minutes. Turn griddle cakes, and
cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain
griddle cakes on paper towels.
We like these with
crispy skillet okra and
sorghum syrup. Why not?