Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 cup chopped Smithfield ham, or other cured ham
Vegetable oil, for frying

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
Chopped parsley
Chopped chives
Unsalted butter, accompaniment
Cane syrup, accompaniment

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, Essence, and salt. In
a medium bowl, beat the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients and
mix just until blended, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the ham.

Preheat a large, heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Lightly grease with
enough vegetable oil to leave a film on the bottom, about 1 tablespoon. Working in
batches, ladle the batter into the pan 1/4 cup at a time, being careful not to overcrowd.
Cook until the pancakes are golden brown underneath and bubbles form on the surface, about
2 minutes. Turn and cook until golden brown on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer
to a platter and place in the oven to keep warm. Add more oil to the pan as needed and

repeat with the remaining batter.

In a nonstick saute pan, add vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Carefully crack each egg
into a small bowl and then pour into the skillet and cook to desired doneness.

Place the pancakes on a plate. Top with fried eggs, cheese, parsley, and chives. Or, serve
the pancakes warm with butter and cane syrup, as
desired.

Ingredients

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

Combine all ingredients thoroughly

and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by
William and Morrow, 1993.