Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Prepare the sauce, combining the blueberries, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar melts into a syrup and the fruit is soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste the sauce. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more sugar if needed to fortify the fruit flavor, dissolving the sugar into the sauce before removing the pan from the heat. Stir in a few drops of lemon juice, just enough to balance and brighten the fruitiness. Keep the sauce warm.

Prepare the pancakes, stirring the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl, preferably one with a spout for pouring. Scrape in the melted butter and stir the mixture until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients.

Beat the egg white until soft peaks form and reserve it.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolk with 1 3/4 cups of the buttermilk until frothy. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. If the batter doesn't seem easily pourable, add up to the remaining 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Fold the egg white into the batter.

Warm a griddle or a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Pour a thin film of oil onto the griddle. If you wish, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of bacon drippings to the oil for a heartier flavor. Pour or spoon out the batter onto the hot griddle, where it should sizzle and hiss. A generous 3 tablespoons of batter will make a 4-inch pancake. Make as many cakes at a time as you can fit without crowding.

Cook the pancakes until their top surface is covered with tiny bubbles but before all the bubbles pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding to the griddle as needed a bit more oil and bacon drippings if desired.

Serve immediately with butter and the fruit sauce. SERVES 4 OR MORE

Credits: From A Real American Breakfast. Copyright 2002 by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. All rights reserved. HarperCollins Publishers. Used by permission.