The only thing better than a white Christmas is an island Christmas. I’ve been lucky enough to experience the latter multiple times while visiting my dad’s hometown, Christiansted, in the US Virgin Islands. As the capital of St. Croix, the largest island in the USVI, it’s a fantastic place to spend the holidays—or any time. During Christmas, the streets come alive with art festivals, soca bands, and the vibrant performances of moko jumbies, who dance on towering six-foot stilts. The best food vendors are out on the streets serving all the island classics: salt fish, guava pies, jerk everything, and my absolute favorite, Johnny cakes.
Pillowy, golden brown Johnny cakes are served fresh from the fryer from breakfast until midnight at all of the local restaurants on the island. My personal favorites come from La Reine Chicken Shack—an unassuming roadside restaurant known for making some of the best chicken in St. Croix. The smell of chicken slow-roasting over coals reaches you long before you walk to the counter. When I order provisions (aka sides), I never skip the Johnny cakes.
What Are Johnny Cakes?
Classic Johnny cakes like the kind you'll find in the Caribbean are made from white flour and may or may not have a small amount of cornmeal added to the dough for added flavor, texture, and color (this recipe does). Granulated sugar adds a touch of sweetness, butter keeps the interior moist, and baking soda helps the dough rise. After a short rest, the dough is shaped into small balls, flattened with a palm or rolling pin, then deep-fried until golden brown. As the Johnny cakes fry, the gas bubbles created by the baking soda expand, creating a light and fluffy texture and pleasantly sweet aroma. They're denser than a beignet and not as sweet as a yeasted doughnut, instead wonderfully tender with a chewy texture and just a touch of sweetness. It's worth noting, they're not meant to be a dessert. You can enjoy Johnny cakes any time of day, for breakfast, as a snack for tea time, or as bread for sopping up curry at dinner.
The origin story for Johnny cakes is difficult to sort out, dating back at least to colonial times, though probably well before. In New England today, and Rhode Island in particular, there's a continued tradition of cooking cornmeal-based "Johnny cakes," which likely have their roots in indigenous American cooking (possibly by the Algonquin, Narragansett, or Iroquois tribes). Johnny cakes, and similar dishes known as ashcakes, Shawnee cakes, and hoecakes, are also popular in the South, opening up the question of the contributions of Black (likely enslaved) Americans in the evolution and spread of these types of preparations. While I haven't found concrete evidence, it is plausible to imagine that these American iterations of the Johnny cake are the precursors to the Johnny cakes found in the Caribbean today. Many questions remain: How did they get to the Caribbean? Who introduced white flour into the recipe? When did it become a deep-fried dough? The journey of Johnny cakes from a cornmeal batter cooked over a fire in the Northeast to a fried dough of mostly white flour in the Caribbean is difficult to document. Today, though, we can safely say you'll find that just about every island in the Caribbean has a baked or fried version of Johnny cakes.
What to Consider When Making Johnny Cakes
For this Johnny cake recipe, I wanted to recreate the Johnny cakes I love so much at La Reine Chicken Shack and so many other restaurants I visit whenever I'm in St. Croix, especially since I can't make the trip there every year. And having a great homemade recipe has value all its own, regardless of my travel plans—I cannot stress enough how much better Johnny cakes are when they're so steaming hot you can barely hold them. Yes, you can reheat them in an air-fryer once they cool, and I do, but it's just not the same as when they're fresh from the fryer.
Use bread flour or an AP flour with a higher gluten content. I've made this recipe with all-purpose flour, bread flour, and King Arthur's AP flour (a higher protein all-purpose flour), and I like the chew that bread flour provides best. With that said, when I made these with the King Arthur AP flour, the results were not noticeably different from standard bread flour, so that's a great option as well. Either way, be sure to let your dough rest before frying so the gluten can relax. No one wants a tough Johnny cake!
Use the right cornmeal. Specifically, a finely ground cornmeal that seamlessly whisks into the flour and doesn't add graininess to the final product. The cornmeal adds a subtle sweetness (in addition to the sugar), and helps the Johnny cakes take on a deeper golden hue once fried. It's only a small quantity, but it makes a big difference in terms of flavor and texture.
Butter makes it better. According to my auntie, Johnny cakes were once made with lard before refrigeration made butter widely available. Today you'll find that many people in the Caribbean are vegetarians, so it makes sense that butter is typically used instead of lard in the dough today. That hint of buttery flavor is a nice touch and the fat helps to keep the interior moist.
Make these by hand or use a mixer. The simple dough comes together in one bowl and can easily be made by hand, but when I'm making a lot I usually use my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. If you choose that route, the dough will come together in just minutes, but you'll miss out on the fun of watching a shaggy dough turn supple and smooth right in the palm of your hands.
Johnny cakes pair perfectly with just about anything—oxtail, fish, or even callaloo—but I especially love eating them on their own. With a glass of sorrel or some rum punch in hand, you’ll have everything you need for a real island Christmas.
In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingers, rub butter into dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly with no large chunks of butter.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour water into the well. Using a wooden spoon, then your hands, mix water into flour mixture until a firm yet elastic dough ball is formed.
On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and knead until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, divide into 12 equal-size balls (about 90g; 3 ounces each).
On a clean work surface, working with 1 dough ball at a time and covering the rest with a damp towel, roll into a small 4-inch (10cm) round. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels or wire rack. In a large Dutch oven filled with about 2 inches of oil (or an electric fryer filled to its minimum fill line), heat oil over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F (177°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Working in batches of about 3 at a time to avoid crowding, fry dough rounds until golden on first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn Johnny cakes and fry until second side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove from oil and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Return oil to 350°F (177°C) and repeat with remaining dough rounds. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Special Equipment
Large Dutch oven or deep fryer, instant-read thermometer, rimmed baking sheet, wire rack or paper towels
Make Ahead and Storage
Johnny cakes are best served immediately, but leftovers can be rewarmed in an air fryer at 350ºF (175ºC) until warmed through, about five minutes.
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