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Couche Couche

Source of Recipe

From "The Complete Cajun Cookbook" by Ryan Boudreaux


Recipe Introduction

"A true Cajun breakfast, this warm cornmeal mush is pronounced 'coosh coosh.' It's served in a bowl with cane syrup and milk or cream. On occasions when my dad, Joseph, was in a hurry, he mashed up a large square of leftover corn bread with a spoon, sprinkled some sugar on top, and poured ice-cold milk over it to make his own version of cold couche couche."

List of Ingredients

◦� 2 cups all-purpose white cornmeal
◦� 2 teaspoons baking powder
◦� 1 teaspoon salt
◦� 1 � cups milk, warmed
◦� 2 large eggs
◦� � cup bacon grease or 4 tablespoons (� stick) unsalted butter
◦� 1 cup buttermilk
◦� � cup Steen's Cane Syrup (optional)


Recipe

In a medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add the warmed milk to make a light batter consistency. Form a well in the middle of the batter, add the eggs, and beat until fully incorporated.

In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, heat the bacon grease or butter over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Pour in the batter, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until a crust has formed on the bottom. Remove the cover and stir well, scraping the bottom of the skillet and breaking up any large lumps of corn bread. Cover again and heat until cooked through but not fully dry, about 5 more minutes. Stir again.

Serve in four individual cereal bowls with � cup of buttermilk poured over each. Add cane syrup, if desired.

Serves 4



❧ Lagniappe Tip:
Old-school couche couche recipes call for clabber milk poured over the top. I've included buttermilk in this recipe for the final topping, but heavy cream, evaporated milk, or plain yogurt would work, too. If you want to make a quick clabbered milk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and allow it to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Be sure to stir it well before serving.