UPSIDE DOWN GRIT CAKE

Upside Down Grit Cake

• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons clarified butter(or store-bought), melted
• Salted butter, for serving (optional)
• Maple syrup, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Whisk egg and yolk together in a medium bowl. Add baking powder, sugar and salt; whisk until smooth and fluffy. Pour in half the milk, then half the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Add the remaining milk and flour plus 2 tablespoons clarified butter and stir briefly just until batter comes together but is still somewhat lumpy.
2. Heat a large 12-inch cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high for at least 5 minutes. Pour about 1/4 cup clarified butter into the pan. When the surface of the clarified butter starts to shimmer, ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter into the skillet for each pancake, leaving a couple of inches between each pancake. Add more clarified butter as pancakes cook to keep about 1/8 inch of fat in the bottom of the pan at all times.
3. Cook until the top of the pancake starts to bubble and edges turn browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip each pancake. The cooked surface should be very crispy, with a dark ring around the edge. Cook until the second side is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat to cook the remaining pancakes, adding more clarified butter as needed.
4. Serve immediately with pats of salted butter, if desired, and maple syrup. If making a large batch, cooked pancakes can be kept warm on a wire rack set in a rimmed metal baking sheet in a 300-degree oven.

Tip

• The batter can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. You might need to increase cook time on the pancakes by 1 minute or so on each side.