Cook the Marsh Hen Way

Heirloom recipes made easy. Explore by grain, prep time, or flavor and find your next favorite dish with our step-by-step guides.

MHM Recipes

Basic Polenta

MHM Recipes

Basic Polenta

Ingredients List 1/4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt 4 fresh bay leaves 2 cups  Marsh Hen Mill Polenta 1 to 2 cups freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano Up to 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (optional, but nice when you want a richer polenta) Directions In a medium Dutch oven, combine 10 cups cold water, the olive oil, salt, and bay leaves. Put the Polenta in a spouted measuring cup for easy pouring. With the heat still off, whisk the water with one hand and pour in the polenta in a thin stream. Keep whisking until all of the polenta is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Turn the heat to medium low, and gently bring the polenta to a simmer, whisking frequently, making sure to get the bottom and sides of the pan. Once the polenta is simmering and thickening, switch to stirring with a wooden spoon. When the polenta is boiling and has become very thick, adjust the heat so just a few bubbles perk to the surface, and cover the pot with the lid ajar. Cook, stirring frequently, making sure to get in the corners and bottom so the polenta doesn't burn, until the polenta is glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 20 to 25 minutes from the time it began to simmer. To finish the polenta, remove the pot from eat and vigorously beat in the grated cheese. Start with 1 cup, and add up to 2, depending on your taste. If using butter, beat it in a few tablespoons at a time incorporating it completely before adding more. Discard bay leaves. Polenta will retain its heat for up to 30 minutes. If you want to chill the polenta to fry or grill it, cover it with plastic wrap to keep a crust from forming. Cold polenta will keep in the refrigerator in plastic wrap for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.
Chili Stuffed Cornbread

MHM Recipes

Chili Stuffed Cornbread

Ingredients List 2 cups Marsh Hen Mill Cornmeal 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk (can sub milk) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup bacon grease (can sub butter) For the Chili: 3-4 cups of your favorite chili 2 cups shredded cheese Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large (10 inch) cast iron pan and get ready for making the ultimate comfort food! Directions STEP 1: Mix ItMix all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Whisk all the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir it up just until it's all combined; don't over-mix! STEP 2: Build Your chili cornbread beautySpread about half of your cornbread mixture into the bottom of your greased pan. Add all of your leftover chili, then generously sprinkle the shredded cheese over the chili. Top with the remaining cornbread mixture, spreading it almost to the edges of the pan. I like to not cover the top completely so that delicious bits of chili peek out from the edge, hinting at the gloriousness hiding below the surface. STEP 3: Bake It, Plate It, Eat ItStick your glorious pan of comforty goodness in the oven (which you have preheated to 425 F). Bake for 20 minutes, then check to see if the cornbread is done by sticking a toothpick down the center. If it comes out clean, you're ready to eat! If it comes out with cornbread goo, set the timer for another five minutes and check again. Depending on the moisture of your chili, your cooking time will change. If you use a different size cast iron or want to make this in a baking pan you may have to adjust the amount of cornbread and chili To fit the dimensions of your chosen implements.
Sea Island Blue Cornmeal Pancakes

MHM Recipes

Sea Island Blue Cornmeal Pancakes

Ingredients List ¾ cup Sea Island Blue Cornmeal 1 cup boiling water 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp white sugar ½ cup milk 1 beaten egg 2 tbsp of butter ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder Directions In a medium bowl mix the Sea Island Blue Cornmeal, salt and sugar. Stir in the boiling water and combine well. Cover and let stand. Combine the milk, egg and melted butter. Stir the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture. Combine the flour and baking powder. Stir into the mixture until just incorporated. If the batter is stiff, add a little more milk until it flows off the spoon thickly, but smoothly. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, and grease it with a dab of oil or butter. Use about 2 tbsp of batter for each pancake. When the entire surface of the pancakes are covered with bubbles, flip them over, and cook the other side until golden. Serve immediately.
Cornbread Panzanella

MHM Recipes

Cornbread Panzanella

Do you have leftover cornbread from your last BBQ? Don’t waste it! Repurpose your old cornbread to make a fresh new twist on a classic panzanella salad. Ingredients List Leftover buttermilk blue cornbread, cubed ½ cup Tbsp Olive oil 1 large tomato, diced 1 large cucumber, peeled & seeded ½ red onion, fine diced ½ cup chopped fresh basil 1 tsp minced garlic 4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss your cubed cornbread with 2 Tbsp olive oil & salt to taste. Place on a baking sheet Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dried out like croutons. Whisk together oil, vinegar, basil, garlic, and S&P Combine tomato, cucumber, cornbread, and onion Right before you're ready to serve, dress your panzanella Enjoy! Recipe courtesy of Charleston Chef Service.
Buttermilk Blue Cornbread

MHM Recipes

Buttermilk Blue Cornbread

While we might have lost most of our crop variety since the commercial adoption of monoculture, there are still some people out there trying to preserve America’s great heirloom varieties. Marsh Hen Mill, a family-owned farm on Edisto Island, SC is one of them, growing and milling their own heirloom grains like Sea Island red peas, Carolina gold rice, black eyed peas, and Blue Corn. Sea Island Blue Corn was brought to South Carolina by Native Americans, most likely the Chicora Tribe, and thought to be considered a ceremonial crop. As you pull your cast-iron cornbread out of the oven, take a moment to consider the rich history of this sacred ingredient as it passed through the hands of Native Americans, Spanish explorers, English colonists, and American settlers. This cornbread is soft, moist, gorgeous to look at, and so easy to make! Ingredients List ½ Cup Butter, Melted ½ Cup White Sugar 2 Large Eggs 1 Cup Buttermilk 1.5 Cups Sea Island Blue Cornmeal 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour 1 Tbsp Salt 1 tsp Baking Soda Heron Farms Sea Beans, for garnish Directions Preheat oven to 375°F Spray your cast iron skillet with non-stick coating Melt butter In a bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar, salt, and whisked eggs In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, AP flour, and cornmeal Combine all your ingredients until it's smooth & thick Pour into your cast iron and garnish with sea beans Bake for 25-30 minutes Recipe courtesy of Charleston Chef Service.
Easy Skillet Cornbread

MHM Recipes

Easy Skillet Cornbread

*For an 8 inch skillet Ingredients: 1 cup Marsh Hen Mill Cornmeal 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup bacon grease Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Put well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet with bacon grease in oven while it heats. Put first 5 ingredients in mixing bowl. (mix the dry ingredients, whisk the eggs into the buttermilk, then combine dry/wet ingredients). Pour bacon grease into the other ingredients, stirring as you pour (if you can manage it). Leave enough in the skillet to coat the bottom and sides. Pour entire mixture into the skillet. Place skillet on middle rack of oven; bake until cornbread is springy in the middle, browned and pulling away from the skillet on the sides (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.   Double recipe for a 10 inch skillet  
Easy Polenta

MHM Recipes

Easy Polenta

Ingredients: 1 cup Marsh Hen Mill Polenta 4 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3.5 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1 packed cups) 1/2 cup softened butter (4 ounces)   Directions: Bring liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Stir in salt and pepper; remove from heat. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. Add cheese and butter, whisking vigorously to break up any lumps. And serve immediately. *Cooking time may vary depending on the stove top and the conditions in the kitchen. Elevation and humidity effect cooking times.
Johnny Cake Bake

MHM Recipes

Johnny Cake Bake

Ingredients: 1 cup Marsh Hen Mill Johnny Cakes Mix 2/3 cup of flour 1/4 tsp of salt 1 tsp of baking soda 1 cup of milk 3 tbsp of sugar 1 tbsp of melted butter 1 cup diced apples (peeled and cored) or 1 cup pureed pumpkin Directions: In a mixing bowl, stir together Marsh Hen Mill Johnny Cake Mix, flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate mixing bowl mix together milk, sugar, and melted butter. Blend flour mixture into wet ingredients. Add diced apples or pureed pumpkin. Stir well. Pour batter into pan, and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the batter just before baking. For a thicker cake, pour batter into a lightly greased 9x9 baking pan. Cook for about 1 hour at 350. For a thinner cake, use a 9x13 baking pan & put into a 350 oven for about 35-40 minutes.
Easy Johnny Cakes

MHM Recipes

Easy Johnny Cakes

Ingredients: 1 cup Marsh Hen Mill Johnny Cakes Mix 1 cup of water 1/4 cup of milk Bacon drippings (butter or other oil/fat can be used) Directions: In a medium saucepan bring water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and pour Johnny Cake mix into a mixing bowl. Stirring constantly, drizzle the hot water over the mix. After the batter is thoroughly mixed, stir in the milk. Heat the bacon drippings in a large cast iron frying pan on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, drop your batter by the spoonful. Cook until both sides are golden brown, just like a pancake. *Cooking time may vary depending on the stove top and the conditions in the kitchen. Elevation and humidity effect cooking times.