Arepas de Choclo (Sweet Corn Cakes With Cheese)

INSTRUCTIONS

The pancakes are slightly sweet and have a delicious corn flavor. They’re usually smeared with butter and cooked on a griddle.

1 cup milk

5 tablespoons Butter

1 cup frozen corn kernels; ground in FP

1 cup Arepa Flour; or 1 cup finely ground yellow corn meal

0.25 teaspoon Salt

0.3 cup Sugar

1 cup mozzarella cheese (or combine w/other white cheese, or Mexican Cheese)

0.5 cup water; (approximately)

Mozzarella; sliced

1 Extra milk; in case the mix is too dry

Corn Pancake Sandwiches “Arepas de Choclo” Preparation

Grind frozen yellow corn kernels in a food processor.

You can find arepa flour at many Latin and Mexican markets. If there isn’t one near you, You can use finely ground yellow cornmeal. In a large bowl, mix the ground corn from the blender, arepa flour or cornmeal, salt, sugar, flour and shredded mozzarella.

Bring the milk and water to a boil in a small pan. Add butter.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually add the hot milk and butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps. Caution this mixture will be hot. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Mixture should have the consistency to a thick pancake batter.

Heat a lightly buttered griddle to medium. spoon the batter on to the griddle to form 4″ round “pancakes”. Cook the arepas in batches until crispy and golden brown on each side. Immediately place a slice or two of cheese on one arepa and cover with another to make a sandwich. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until the cheese melts, flipping a few times.

You may also make the pancakes only and store them in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve. Just lightly butter two pancakes, put a slice of cheese in between, and heat on the griddle at low heat until the cheese melts.

NB the hot liquid helps to bring out the flavor in the corn meal.

This makes 4 Mozzarepa sandwiches or 8 patties.