.................. Cooking with Barry & Meta: Steve's Gumbo Griddle Cakes

Steve's Gumbo Griddle Cakes

Steve's Gumbo Griddle Cakes were featured in the spring 2015 edition of Sunflower Living magazine, my Chef's Table article for the quarterly publication. (Grilled Gumbo Goodness, Sunflower Living Magazine, spring, 2015, pp. 14-17)
I found out about this recipe at a birthday celebration (his wife Cindy and I both share the same birth date and we were celebrating with Judy Burgess whose birthday is just a few days ahead of ours). As we were dining, Steve told me about his okra pancakes. His enthusiasm for this recipe, and the stories behind it, intrigued me, especially since we had a garden full of okra. A few days later, I called him and he shared the recipe and even sent photos of what the batter should look like. I tried them; we loved them, and, I continued to make them all summer long.
Here's the recipe with a few additional details + some of the photos I took of Steve during the magazine photo shoot, some of which did not appear in the article due to space restraints.

Read Steve's story @ Grilled Gumbo Goodness, Sunflower Living Magazine, spring, 2015, pp. 14-17.

GUMBO GRIDDLE CAKES SERVES 6-8

PREPARATION TIME — About 25 minutes

ABOUT THE RECIPE

Steve describes his savory recipe as a meal-in-one. Since his second griddle cake generally turns out better than the first, he suggests doing a test run on the first one. “It’s a chance to check the consistency of the batter and to make sure the heat is correctly adjusted,” he notes.

3 cups okra

2 medium tomatoes, diced and drained of excess juice

½ of a yellow onion

1 small green pepper

1 cup ham, cubed

1 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

2 large eggs

¼ cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil, allow about 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon of oil for each skilletfull of pancakes

Prepare okra, tomatoes, onions and pepper by cutting into a medium dice, measuring about ½ inch.
In a bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil—mixture will be mainly veggies with just enough batter to hold the veggies and ham together.

Steve mixes up the ingredients during the photo shoot in our kitchen.
Heat about a teaspoon to tablespoon of oil in a skillet set on medium heat (amount of oil is dependent on the type and size of skillet).
Using a ½ cup measure, ladle mixture into hot oil. Use the first cake as a test—if the pancake does not hold together, add a little more water; if it seems thin, add additional baking mix.
Once the batter is in the skillet, reduce heat to medium to avoid overcooking the vegetables, and use a spatula to flatten the cake so the vegetables are just one layer thick. Depending on the size of the skillet, 2 or 3 cakes may be cooked at one time.
Cook cakes until small bubbles form on top and side surfaces; undersides should be golden brown and should set in about 3 to 4 minutes. If cakes begin to fall apart when flipped, they need additional cooking time.
Once cakes are flipped, again let the bottoms brown—batter should be cooked through and the veggies should be tender crisp.
Repeat until all of batter is used, replenishing oil as needed. Or, batter may be covered and stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Additional preparation details:

CHOPPED VEGGIES — Because he likes to taste the individual components of each ingredient in every bite, Steve cuts all the ingredients using a medium dice, measuring about ½ inch.
PROPORTION — Steve’s formula for the perfect proportion of veggies for his Okra-Ham Griddle Cakes: Quantity of tomatoes + onions + green pepper = the amount of cut okra.
BATTER UP — The griddle cake mixture is made up of a high percentage of raw vegetables and ham to batter, it’s hard to imagine the proportions. Seeing is believing, and in this case, a photo really is worth a thousand words.
CRAZY ABOUT CAST IRON — Steve fries his griddle cakes in a cast iron skillet. An ideal heat conductor, cast iron heats evenly and consistently. When well seasoned, a cast iron skillet is stick resistant, requiring little or no additional oil.
READY TO FLIP — When small bubbles form on the surface and sides of the

Griddle Cake Versatility

Breakfast or brunch: Top griddle cakes with an egg.
Vegetarian: Leave out ham for a meat-free offering.
Appetizer-sized griddle cakes: Use ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter; top each finished cake with a dollop of sour cream, and offer as a first course starter, as finger food for game night, or for a cocktail party.
Add a topping: Use dollops of sour cream or salsa, or serve with a cream sauce.
Vary or change up ingredients: Try adding corn, mushrooms, chives, or garlic..

Recipe without photos . . .
GUMBO GRIDDLE CAKES SERVES 6-8