Fried Mush

[clawhammerdan]

When I was a kid and I'd come home from checking my traps, my mom would have this breakfast waiting for me. Talk about comfort food! When my kids were growing up, they'd have friends over and they'd say, "My dad"s making mush...you want some?" They all poo-pooed it till they tasted it and then asked for seconds.

You can make your own mush from corn meal, but you can also buy it premade, refrigerated in tubes. Slice the mush in thin slabs (maybe 1/4 inch thick). Here's the secret part: DIP THE MUSH IN FLOUR! this will keep it from sticking. Warm up some olive oil in a pan, so it's fairly hot. Put the pieces in, enough to cover the skillet. Turn them. Let them get fairly brown on both sides. It will seem like it's taking forever, and then they'll get brown and then black in an eyeblink, so keep your eyes on them. I put mine on a paper towel to drain off any extra grease. Put them on a plate with bacon and pour a little maple syrup on those bad boys, and you'll think you died and went to heaven.

[nancy1340]

Dan, fried mush was always my reward for being good. Or maybe it was bribery for not being myself? ;)

[lost1]

Claw,
Very interesting post. You have described exactly the way we have been fixing mush for more years than I can remember. You must be an antique like myself!!!!! :)

[MNMOM]

Mom use to make cornmeal mush in a great big pan, when it was set she would cut it into squares and fry it for our breakfasts before we would set out for school, it was one of our favorite breakfasts in the winter.

[annabella1]

I have always done the same with grits. Make a double batch of grits put the leftovers in a loaf pan,refrigerate overnight, next day slice em and fry em like you did the mush. Yum think I'll have some tomorrow.

[JudyOK]

Sometimes I think one has to grow up with stuff like this fried mush to really appreciate it, but....not always. When I thought about making it, I polled my family and I got responses like "Yuk, fried mush!", and "I don't like mush", and " wouldn't touch the stuff", and come to find out, NOBODY has even ever tried it. Well, I haven't either, but I made a batch a few days ago, and....IT WAS WONDERFUL. I used olive oil to fry in so it didn't seem so bad for us, laden with oils, and I liked it plain, and with salsa on it, and then I sprinkled Splenda on it. WOW is that ever good. It tastes just like Silver Dollar funnel cakes. I am sure glad I tried it, because it will be regular around here now, even if I have to eat it all myself. But, I expect I will win over some converts sooner or later. Thanks folks, for that great idea and recipe.

blessings,
Judy

[rideaway]

Does someone have a recipe for the cornmeal mush??? We don't have it premade here and I know it's cheaper to make it from scratch...
Thanks!

[annabella1]

I bring 3 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large pan. mix 1 cup of cornmeal(or grits) with 1 cup of cold water and slowly stir it into the boiling water (try to keep the water boiling). Cook till the mush thickens stirring constantly. turn the heat down and cook it for 20 to 30 minutes more stirring occasionally so it wont scorch on the bottom of the pan. Butter a small loaf pan pour the cooked mush in the pan and refrigerate overnight. Next day slice it and dip it in flour and fry it. I fry it in a combination of olive oil and butter.You can add seasonings to the mush depending on what you are going to use it for. I have made a savory mush with cumin and garlic and onion and Parmesan cheese and fried it and used it as a base for chicken ala king, or on the bottom of a bowl of stew. I have also made it sweet with about a teaspoon of sugar and some cinnamon and nutmeg. Fry that up and serve with bacon and maple syrup. Okay, now I have to make some more for tomorrow.

[MYellowRose]

Judy maybe you should just call it Polenta and see if they would eat it. Right now that's one of the "in" foods people want to have on the table. LOL
I must admit that "mush" just doesn't sound appetizing at all. My maternal great-grandmother used to make something she called "cush". Don't remember exactly how she did it but I think it was just mush with corn, and tomatoes, and the like added to it. She made it when the 'fridge started getting full of leftovers. Didn't sound all that good but boy did we eat it up once it was made and cooked. LOL

[Backwoods_Bob]

Thank you all for the wonderfull ideas!

I'd never had corn meal mush untill I married my wife. She likes to eat it for breakfast sometimes, but she had never had it fried.

So, friday night I made a loaf and we fried it up for breakfast saturday morning, along with some bacon.

That was a pretty durn good breakfast!
We fried up the second half of the loaf for dinner that night. ;D