Rania's Recipes: Johnny Cakes & Black-Eyed Pea Cakes

Rania Harris stopped by PTL to cook up some more southern-inspired recipes!

Charred Corn Johnny Cakes with Peach Compote

For the Compote:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 diced peaches
• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1-1/2 tablespoons honey
• Pinch of salt

For the Mascarpone:

• ½ cup of mascarpone
• 6 mint leaves, minced
• 2 teaspoons of honey

For the Johnnycakes:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup medium-grain cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon of buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 cup charred corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (for cooking Johnnycakes in pan)

Directions:

For the compote, start with a medium-sized sauce pot over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and add the diced peaches. Cook for about 4 minutes until the peaches start to soften. Add the grated ginger and the honey, and continue to cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.

For the mascarpone, in a small bowl, mix together the mascarpone, mint leaves and the honey. Set aside.

For the Johnnycakes: In a large bowl, sift together the flour and cornmeal, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, the melted butter and the charred corn kernels. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.

Place a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan. Drop the batter into the pan ¼ cup at a time. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the edges get golden and bubbles form on the surface of the cakes. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Garnish with the peach-ginger compote and mint mascarpone and serve immediately.

Serves: 6

Black-Eyed Pea Cakes with Spicy Creole Sauce

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion - chopped
• 1/2 small red bell pepper - finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves - minced
• 2 jalapenos - seeded and minced
• 2 cups canned black-eyed peas - drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1-teaspoon ground cumin
• Frank's Red-hot sauce to taste
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1-cup Panko breadcrumbs (more if needed)

Cooking the cakes:

• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• Vegetable oil

Directions

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapenos and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and cool. Place half of the black eyed peas in a large bowl and crush them completely with a fork. Stir in the other half of the black eyed peas, along with the onion mixture, cilantro and cumin. Taste the mixture, season with salt and pepper and red hot sauce, and then stir in the egg yolks. Starting with 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs, add just enough to form a mixture that will hold its shape. Cover and chill the mixture for 2 hours.

Working with 1/4 cup of the pea mixture at a time, make 8 to 10 1/2-inch thick patties. Coat the patties in the cornmeal and shake off the excess. Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Fry the patties in 2 batches, adding the remaining oil for the second batch. Do not flip until a brown crust has formed on the first side, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove the patties from the pan when uniform in color. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve. Repeat until all the patties are cooked.

Spicy Creole Sauce

• 1/8-cup capers, drained
• 5 or 6 cornichons
• 1/2 small onion, peeled
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Creole spices
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

Finely chop the capers, cornichons and the onion. Place in a bowl and add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, Creole spices and herbs. Mix well. Cover and chill for one hour.