Fried Mush

I grew up eating fried mush. Sounds appetizing doesn't it? Mush. Mmmm. I'd like to try some of that. It might make you feel better to call it fried polenta. Same thing. Me, I spent my childhood eating mush. Usually on Sunday mornings before church. In my opinion, it's anything but unappetizing. It's all crispy and buttery on the outside and creamy corn on the inside. I like to smother mine with a generous drizzle of warm syrup. Good stuff, I'm tellin' ya! But not healthy. Not at all. It's fried in a good amount of butter. Oh well. Everything in moderation, right? The good news is it's easy on your pocketbook. Cornmeal, water and salt. That's it. Cheap, cheap, cheap.



Mix your cornmeal and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of cold water.



Pour the cornmeal mixture into 2 and 3/4 cups of boiling water, stirring constantly.



Once the mixture returns to a boil, turn the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until...


very thick.



Pour the "mush" into a loaf pan and let it cool a bit. Then cover and refrigerate overnight.



When you're ready to start breakfast, remove from the fridge and invert onto a cutting board.



Now slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.



I melted about 3 tablespoons of butter on my griddle before laying the slices of mush on top. You can also use oil. I prefer butter.



Fry until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes, and then flip and fry the other side too.



That's it! Sunday morning breakfast. Just as good as I remember from my childhood. How about you? Have you eaten fried mush?



Fried Mush

2-3/4 cups water
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup cold water

Directions
1. Bring the 2-3/4 cups water to boiling in a 2-quart saucepan. Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, cold water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Slowly add the cornmeal mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture returns to boiling. Reduce heat to very low. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Pour into a greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pan. Cool 1 hour. Cover and chill several hours or until firm. Mush may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before serving. To serve, remove the mush from pan and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

3. To fry, heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Add mush slices and cook about 4-6 minutes per side or until golden brown, turning once during cooking time.