Description

Next for our Tasting History series is Indian Slapjack! This recipe is named Indian Slapjack due to its use of cornmeal. Corn as a crop was introduced to Europeans by indigenous Americans. Starting with a quart of milk, add a pint of cornmeal, 4 eggs, 4 spoons of flour, and a little salt. Beat all that together and either cook on a griddle, fry in a dry pan, or bake in a greased pan. Our chef chose this because this recipe sounded like it would make yummy, cornmeal pancakes. Unfortunately, the mixture didn’t mix well at all, the cornmeal sinking out of the milk and egg. Trying to save this recipe, our chef decided to bake it instead of cooking this on a griddle. Sadly, the cornmeal and milk/egg mixture separated fully, leaving a custard-y layer on top and a cornmeal ‘crust’ on the bottom. Taste tester Tom went in for a quick sniff followed by a bite. He was not a fan. The custard didn’t have much flavor and the cornmeal ‘crust’ was dry. Tom was hoping for more and gave his next, uneaten forkful a reproachful look.

Type of Resource

Photograph

Personal story shared by NYS Library and Archives staff

Date Created

2023-02-01

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