You cannot come to the Caribbean without having good, authentic Fried Johnny Cakes. Caribbean Fried Johnny Cakes is fluffy, quick and delicious. It’s a must try.
Recipe video:
Throughout the years, I’ve noticed that most of the islands share the same recipe. The thing that separates them is the name of this recipe. I know many people will not know these bad boys, but these are also called Fried Bake.
Growing up Johnny Cakes were a regular thing in my household. I remember having them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are so versatile, they can be a side dish for bbq or used as a replacement for bread in a sandwich.
I remember whenever we would run out of bread we would make these as a replacement. We would stuff them with ham and cheese or some saltfish. If we were having them for breakfast then we would enjoy them with a big cup of bush tea.
This is one of those recipes that you can make at any time for any occasion. If you want something to go along with your soup, then this is perfect. I enjoyed these a couple of days ago with my Conch and Dumpling soup and it was pure perfection.
The key to a good johnny cake is to have to right dough, if you mess up the dough then the whole thing will be messed up. I have learned the hard way that if you don’t have the right dough texture then you will have a successful recipe. Although, this is a very simple recipe, it requires a little technique.
Before we get into the recipe, I thought I should share some few TIPS & TRICKS so you can have some bomb johnny cakes.
TIPS & TRICKS
- The ingredients: It is very simple, all you need is sugar, salt, butter, baking powder, flour and water. Although the ingredients may be simple, one ingredient plays a huge role in this recipe. If you have the wrong measurements for the baking powder then everything will go wrong. I remember my johnny cakes coming out hard as a rock because I added too much baking powder. Thankfully, I went through all these tests and trials so you wouldn’t have to experience them.
- The dough: All I really need to say about this part is that you need to mix everything together carefully. The dough should at least rest for 30 minutes before frying. If you skip the resting time, you will still get good results. But if you want the extra fluffiness then I suggest leaving it rest. The dough should not be overly sticky but slightly, you don’t want it sticking to your hands. You don’t not want a stiff dough neither, so I suggest adding the water gradually at the end of all the others.
- The frying process: Yet another simple step but very important one. The oil has to be hot, placing the johnny cakes in too early when the pan isn’t hot enough will result in some very oily cakes. When the oil isn’t hot enough, the dough will just sit in the oil and absorb it. Once the oil is hot and you’ve placed your cakes in they will cook fast. They usually take less than 3 minutes on each side, once they aren’t too big. Each side should be a nice golden color.
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Now, let’s get into it.
Authentic Caribbean Fried Johnny Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups All-purpose flour plus more for kneading
- 1-2 cups Vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Butter at room temperature
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 & 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
- Crumb together the flour and the butter.
- Gradually mix in the water. The dough should be smooth, soft and slightly sticky. It shouldn't be wet and should easily come together when kneading.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes before dividing it into small golf balls.
- Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling out each ball. Be careful not to roll them out too thin.
- Heat a frying pan with 1-2 cups of vegetable oil. when it's hot fry each johnny cake on each side for 1-3 minutes or until each side is golden.
- Set them on a plate with napkin to soak up the excess oil.
Other quick fried recipes you may enjoy:
