Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cornmeal Pancakes with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter
A sunny stack with serious chef cred. Inspired by chefs Daniel Patterson (Jaca, Los Angeles) and René Redzepi (Noma, Copenhagen), this riff starts with a classic cornmeal pancake and sneaks in rice flour for lift, then crowns everything with nutty brown butter dotted with fresh lemon and sage. Warm maple syrup brings it home.
Why These Pancakes Work
Cooking the cornmeal into a quick porridge first gives the batter a tender, custardy interior while keeping that gentle corn bite. Rice flour lightens the crumb, and whipped egg whites folded in at the end create a soufflé-soft rise without sacrificing structure.
Lemon-Sage Brown Butter Magic
Brown the butter until it smells toasty and the milk solids turn hazelnut-brown—then chill briefly and stir until creamy. Fold in finely chopped fresh sage, lemon zest, and chopped lemon segments for bright pops of citrus. The herb-citrus contrast cuts the richness and wakes up every bite.
Pro Technique: Chopped Lemon
To avoid bitterness, remove all peel and pith, then cut between the membranes to release clean lemon segments. Chop them small so they dot the butter like confetti—tiny bursts of acidity that melt over the hot pancakes.
Batter Flow & Fold
Whisk the hot cornmeal porridge smooth, temper with buttermilk, then add the yolk for richness. Combine your dry mix separately so leaveners stay evenly dispersed, whisk in, and finish by folding in stiff-peaked egg whites with a wide spatula. Minimal strokes = maximum fluff.
Griddle Cues, Not Clocks
Heat the griddle until a drop of water skitters. Lightly butter the surface and portion scant ¼-cup rounds. Flip when bubbles form and edges look matte, then cook just until the bottoms are golden and the centers spring back. Work in batches, keeping finished pancakes tented so steam doesn’t sog them out.
Serve It Right
Top the stack with a generous spoonful of lemon-sage brown butter so it melts down the sides, add a warm drizzle of maple syrup, and finish with a whisper of lemon zest. For extra texture, scatter toasted pepitas or crushed candied pecans.
Make-Ahead & Storage
The lemon-sage brown butter keeps beautifully—wrap and refrigerate up to 5 days (slice straight from the log onto hot pancakes). Leftover pancakes reheat best in a 300°F oven for a few minutes, or in a dry nonstick skillet to re-crisp the edges.
Gluten-Free Option
Swap in King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for a gluten-free batch; the rice flour already in the mix helps keep the texture airy and tender.
Troubleshooting
Pancakes spreading too much? The griddle’s not hot enough. Tough or flat? You over-mixed after adding the egg whites. Butter tastes bitter? The lemon pith snuck in—trim more closely next time.
Serving Ideas
Pair with crispy sage leaves, macerated berries, or a dollop of thick yogurt to play against the syrup’s sweetness. For brunch, add salty bacon or smoky mushrooms to echo the brown-butter notes.
Ingredients:
PANCAKES:
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 large egg, yolk & white separated
1 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see NOTES for gluten-free option)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the griddle
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup rice flour
LEMON-SAGE BROWN BUTTER
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon sage, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon, chopped (see NOTES)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
1 stick unsalted butter
Instructions:
LEMON-SAGE BROWN BUTTER (15 minutes):
In a small saucepan, cook the butter with the salt over moderately low heat until nutty brown, about 5 minutes.
Scrape the butter into a bowl and chill in a bowl of ice water, stirring frequently, just until it begins to harden around the edges, about 5-10 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the ice water and gently beat with a wooden spoon until the butter is slightly pale and creamy. Fold in the chopped lemon, sage and lemon zest.
PREP PANCAKES (12 minutes):
In a medium saucepan, whisk the cornmeal into the cold water and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer over moderate heat until thickened to a porridge, 4 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the buttermilk and the egg yolk.
In another bowl, whisk the all-purpose and rice flours with the sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk the dry ingredients into the cornmeal mixture.
In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the 2 egg whites with the salt at high speed until firm peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.
COOK PANCAKES (20 minutes):
Heat a large griddle. Brush the hot griddle with butter and ladle a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto the surface for each pancake, allowing a little space between them. Cook the pancakes over moderate heat until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until risen and browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve the pancakes immediately with the Lemon-Sage Brown Butter and maple syrup.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 453 Calories; 20g Fat (40.5% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 82mg Cholesterol; 709mg Sodium; 14g Total Sugars; 1mcg Vitamin D; 137mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 162mg Potassium; 202mg Phosphorus. Exchanges: .
NOTE: CHOPPED LEMON To make the chopped lemon, cut the skin and bitter white pith from a lemon. Cut between the membranes to release the sections, then chop.
NOTE: GLUTEN-FREE: King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour can be substituted to make this recipe GLUTEN-FREE.
MAKE AHEAD: The lemon-sage butter can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 5 days
