Paula's Famous Hoecakes

What's your favorite thing on your menu

I mean, do you have one? It's like... Fried chicken. The biscuits, the hoe cakes, the collard greens, the mashed potatoes

The yams are actually good enough to be dessert. The butter beans, the rice and the gravy, the Savannah red rice

So you don't know. Cabbage, I love our cabbage. I tell you what, Blythe has got me so disappointed in myself

I have never put cream cheese in my cream corn. Where have I been

Yes, the student is teaching the old lady. All right, now I'm going to slip

Oh, my gosh. A little bacon grease in here, Blythe. A little

I'm going to show you how we make our hoe cakes. Yes. Lady and sons, I'll be putting all your ingredients in

Yes, ma'am. Now, we're going to use one cup, and I tell you what

we've got a whole cake mix that you can just get the mix ready That's good for people that don't want to do this

And that, oh, it's so good. Do you get at the restaurant or at the store

Yeah, you can get at the store or you can go to Paula Deen General Store

A cup of self-rising meal. We're going to use one tablespoon of sugar

Normally, I don't like a sweet corn bread. You wouldn't use this recipe for making, like, a cornbread dressing

Okay. All right, I'm going to crack you two eggs. Should I start mixing, or do I wait

Yeah, you can start. I do not know what a hoe cake is. I thought they were..

I know. Stir a girl. All right. You're like I'm cloaked in shame

No, let me tell you what a hoe cake is. Okay. A hoe cake is pan-fried cornbread

Oh. I'm going to put this in. Talk dirty to me. My gosh

Oh, my Lord. Let me tell you how it got its name. Okay. It got its name on the utensil that it was cooked on And back a long time ago Is that water Yes is water Okay And maybe a third of a cup Do you mix it just so it smooth Yeah it the consistency that you like it

This is so beautiful. Let me see if our fire is burning. It smells so good, but it's big and fat

This thing ain't sitting level. You can see all our grease went to one side, but that's all right, too

So anyway... So it's a... Long time ago, before we had a lot of fancy stuff

people would cook these over an open fire on a hoe. Like the, like..

Yes, on a hoe. Wow. And, uh... Is that right? Did I do that

Yes. See, I kind of like the consistency of that. I do too. Now, as it sits, we may have to add a little bit more

Okay. That is so pretty. You want enough, you want enough fat

It smells so good. You want enough fat in your pan that it'll actually fry

I feel bad for the people out there that can't smell this, because it's... All right, so..

By the way, this is what I thought you were going to smell like, like bacon and blood

Like, you should have your own perfume that's like bacon. Yes, I hope I hadn't disappointed you

Well, when I drove up to your house, it smelled like fried chicken, I was like, she's here

I always said I want a room deodorizer that smells like bacon and onions

But I knew that's what you'd smell like. Like, I knew. I love it

That's such a compliment. Well, do you, well. So anyway, we did, when I wrote my, that's not quite ready to turn

Do you, but do you wait till the bubbles, just like you do? Yeah, I kind of wait till it starts getting crispy around the edges. Okay

All right, I like a little bit more grease. But actually, at the restaurant, we cook these in clarified butter

So you don't do the bacon fat at the, okay, by the way, I like when you say

I'd like a little more grease. Yes. So all right it time to flip your hose OK Oh I like to fry them deep enough in that fat

so they'll get crispied up. Paula, this is insane. Yes. Yeah, this is crazy

Yes. Oh, my God. And I tell you what, people will come into the restaurant

They love these aho cakes. They'll eat one with their meal. Yeah

Do you serve it? Or maybe two. This is the first thing that gets brought to your table. with this and a garlic cheese biscuit

God! I had one of those when I got here. Oh, did you? Someone handed me a biscuit, and I was like

I knew it. I mean, most people get iced tea. All right, you better watch your hoes

All right, I'm gonna shift them, because see, my grease is running back that way. Yeah, I see that. And this one ain't had enough grease

Okay. All right, speaking of grease. Just a little. Grease is the word

baby. I know. It's dirty talk. Yes. I love it. But people just love these, and they'll

usually eat a couple with their meal. Yeah. You know, this is a great pot liquor, so..

What? Oh, yes. Your hose may be burning. My hose look... Oh, okay

Uh-huh. See, sister. I've never... I thought my hose were good. So, anyway, what else can I tell you about a hoe

Oh, so most people eat two... Okay. ...with their meal... Okay. ...to sop up their collard green juice. Yeah

And then they'll usually have one with syrup... Oh! ...at the end of their meal

and you talking about good? Yes, I do want to talk about good. All right, so why don't you take your hose up

Okay. All right, and please don't burn yourself. Okay, I got it

Do you need a hoe pan? No, I don't have a hoe pan. Okay, well, I'll give you one

Oh, okay. This is my hoe pan right here. Okay, oh, and this is wood, so we don't have to..

Just throw those anywhere. That's good. Yeah, you didn't... Yeah. Oh, God, that looks so good

Don't that look good, sister? Yes. Yes. All right Now I know that was cooked in bacon grease Yes ma But so normally we cook them in butter

Your hoe pans are beautiful. Thank you. You're going home with one

Oh, yay. All right, so the reason our hoe cakes are so good

is because we cook them in clarified butter. Yeah, you have to. So do they need butter

No. But these were cooked in bacon grease, not butter. So you have to put the butter and the bacon grease

That's the way God intended it. Yes. And you know what? You stay away from that margarine, sister

No, I don't even. That's a dirty word in our house. All right, so taste this. OK

Do you like the hook cake? I love the hook cake. All right, well, I believe I'll taste one

Well, you have. OK, how are you going to give me half and you take a little bird bite

No, see, moderation. Honey, I told you I'm practicing moderation. Margarine in moderation

Oh, my. Okay, so what is... Are these yours? Do you make these? I need a moment

I'll get you. Hey, man, I saw you

Okay. Wait, are these your preserve? Oh, look at this. Oh. Oh, all right. You look so sweet and innocent

Thank you. Liar. Oh, my God. All right. They are good. We have to share with them

They've had them. They live here. Come on, sister. I'll cook you some more

All right. All right. Bring the star. A hoe cake. A hoe cake is meant to be eaten hot

So y'all jump by those chairs. Come up here and get you a bite of hoe cake

Thank you