Corn Pancakes with Cheese (Venezuelan Cachapas)

Cachapa is a thin pancake made with ground fresh corn, cheese, and panela (or sugar), cooked in a budare (a clay or iron plate). It is then served with queso de mano (Venezuelan fresh cheese) and butter. This type of cachapa is also known as cachapa de budare. The sweet-savoury flavour is what makes cachapas special. These rustic and thin Venezuelan corn pancakes are filled with cheese. Although cachapas are also a well-known dish in Colombia, their origin comes from the central region of Venezuela. The indigenous people who populated the north-central Miranda region of Venezuela cultivated corn. This cereal was worshiped by the indigenous people and considered of divine origin. Corn was so special that their worship even became associated with the Christian religion, where they would sow the corn kernels on the feast day of San Isidro Labrador (Saint Isidore the Farm Laborer) to pay tribute to the farmers. This custom is still done in some Venezuelan farming towns.

2 cups corn (fresh or frozen kernels)
1 egg
½ cup milk
4 Tbsp. masa harina
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

Add fresh corn, egg, milk, corn flour, sugar, and kosher or sea salt in a blender and blend until a thick paste form. Let stand for about 10 minutes for the mixture to thicken.

Preheat a 5½" frying pan, over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add some butter to grease it.

Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the frying pan, making a circle around the pan.

Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip with a spatula. Cook for 3 more minutes until the cachapa is golden brown.

Place sliced mozzarella on one half of the cachapa and let it melt. Fold the other half over the cheese and spread some butter on top. Serve hot.

If necessary, keep prepared capachas warm in the oven until all are cooked.

Makes 6 servings.