Johnny Cake Corn Pancakes with Blackberries

Ingredients:

Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 6 cups freshly picked honeysuckle flowers

Honeysuckle oil

• 900 g unsalted butter, room temperature, diced
• A pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped freshly picked honeysuckle flowers

Corn pancakes

• 2 cups of milk
• 3/4 cup honey
• 3 tsp grated lemon zest + 9 tbsp lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp active dry yeast
• 1.5 cups finely ground yellow corn flour
• 4.5 cups wild blackberries
• Whites of 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 165 g unsalted butter
• Special equipment: electronic thermometer

Preparation:

1. Honeysuckle Simple Syrup:
   
   Combine sugar with 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place the flowers in a large bowl and pour the syrup over them. Let steep and cool to room temperature, then strain. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Honeysuckle oil:
   
   Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the butter on low speed and add a pinch of salt. Once the butter is soft and pliable, gradually whisk in 1.5 cups of honeysuckle syrup. Once the syrup is incorporated, gradually add the honeysuckle flowers.
3. Corn pancakes:
   
   Combine the milk, honey, and 3/4 teaspoon of lemon zest in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the honey dissolves and the mixture reaches 110°F (43°C). Remove from heat, add the yeast, cover, and let sit until the yeast begins to foam, about 15 minutes.
4. Combine the cornflour and milk mixture in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the blackberries in a medium bowl and add 2 cups of honeysuckle syrup. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons of lemon zest. Let the berries sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low speed until foamy. Without stopping the mixer, add the sugar 0.5 tablespoons at a time. Increase the speed to medium and beat until medium peaks form. Set aside.
7. Once the dough has risen and absorbed most of the liquid, fold in one-third of the beaten egg whites with a spatula. Add the other third of the whites and fold again until fully incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to overmix or deflate the dough.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the batter to the skillet in batches, 2 tablespoons at a time. Fry the pancakes until golden brown and cooked through, about 1.5 minutes per side. Transfer the pancakes to a plate and keep warm while you fry the second batch.
9. Place 3 pancakes on each of 6 dessert plates. Spread the softened blackberries and their juice evenly over the pancakes. Top each serving with 1/2 cup of honeysuckle butter. Serve immediately.