Cachapas (sweet corn pancake)

Cachapas is one of the most beloved, delicious and treasured Venezuelan typical dishes, Cachapas is like a pancake made out of pure fresh sweet corn (original English name: Maize, Spanish Maíz, German: Mais), a bit of butter, maybe one egg, and salt. Just to mention them reminds me the delicious aroma that the corn mix has when its being cooked in the pan... hmmmm its so delicious... it is something you must try as it is so easy to make!

Since some months ago I wanted to try to make it as our ancestors did, today you can find ready made mix, where you just need to add water and done, taste is nothing compared to the original grounded corn. As right now its the time when the corn is ready to be cropped, it is corn time. Though it can be made in any time of the year. In Venezuela, Cachapas are eaten mostly for breakfast or for supper.

In any case as breakfast it is very filling and can keep your belly full for several hours, as it is pure corn, it is also healthy. Add some white soft fresh shredded cheese (I added Mozzarella), or some ham.. or both! Cream Cheese (Philadelphia style) goes excellent as well with it.

Cachapas
(8 to 10 portions)

Ingredients:

• 3 Corn Cobs
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil (Corn, Sunflower, Olive)
• 1 Egg
• Salt for seasoning
• 1Tbsp Sugar (only if the corn is not that sweet, or if you like it sweeter)
• Butter for the pan (or use a nonstick pan)
• White fresh shredded cheese, or mozzarella cheese in pieces, ham, or cream cheese to accompany

Preparation:

Wash the Corn Cobs carefully, and then in a clean area proceed to cut the seeds out of the cob. Be careful not to cut too much of the base of the seed (the brighter or white part that joins the corn seed to the main cob). This will make the mix a bit bitter, and these parts takes much longer to be cooked and softened. So better avoid it.

This first part might be a bit messy as the seeds of the corn can be VERY juicy. So be prepared to have paper towels at hand and a clean area.

Once the corn seeds are cut, add them to your mixer (or a bowl) and add the egg oil, salt and sugar if you want. I recommend to use the mixer as it is much better grounded and mixed. When mixing in the bowl, you must mix very strongly and if possible ground the corn as much as you can. The mixing result will be much more grainy than with the mixer.

The resulting mix should be thick and a bit grainy. See the next photo for reference.

Heat the pan on high heat, while the mix rests around 5 minutes. Add a bit of oil or butter to secure non-stickiness, and reduce the heat to medium. Add one serving soup spoon of the mix to the pan. Let it cook between 5 to 10 minutes on each side.

Be sure before attempting to lift one side that the Cachapa is cooked well on that side, otherwise will break when turning it around and believe me, it can be a mess (though the sticky mix might help to "glue" it again hehe). If the mix is still too liquid and breaks easily, add another egg. (The liquidness might be different according to how juicy the corn seeds are).

Once the Cachapa is done on both sides, keep it warm until served. To serve add a bit of butter, cheese and/or ham. Enjoy!