Oh, long ago had passed the days when a light feeding Nikita (who promised Americans gruel show) corn was queen of the fields. And then the bread sold in stores maize and maize flour was - the dam! But no, it does not take root dish of corn flour in our East Slavic kitchen. Meanwhile, corn flour (and barley) has been and still remains a very popular ingredient in the cuisines of different nations.
Many have heard about the famous Italian polenta or cornmeal mush Moldovan, Mexican tortillas or Georgian mchadi. The Americans (southern and northern) still honor the corn, and in Southern Europe, it is still held in high esteem. And we ... We in this regard particularly boast nothing (except sweet corn sticks Soviet times). Therefore, we can only learn the art of cooking cornmeal recipes have got modern humans inherited from the ancient Aztecs.
Tortillas from Mexico
Oh if we're talking about the Aztecs founded Mexico City, and then start to learn recipes from the Mexican corn flour tortillas. These tasty corn tortillas themselves and for themselves, and as the basis of many dishes of Mexican cuisine. For real tortillas needs an open fire and a special clay pan. But we will cope with them on a regular skillet.
Ingredients:
- Corn flour (half cup)
- Water (half a cup)
- Margarine (50 g)
- Salt
Preparation:
Margarine finely chop with a knife. We sift the flour and add to the margarine, there too - a pinch of salt. Rubs the margarine with the flour in the crumb and slowly pouring the water, knead the dough. Divide the dough into several parts (by number of future cakes), cover with a towel and leave for fifteen minutes. Then roll out dough thin round cakes and fry them on both sides of the dry (no oil!) A hot skillet. Tortilla ready! They can be eaten instead of bread, and you can go ahead and prepare ...
Based tortilla can be prepared tostados - the same flour tortillas, but fried in oil. If two tortillas put the filling, sprinkle with cheese and fry them in oil, the result is a quesadilla. And if Burrito topple into a tube, the dish has to be called a burrito. That's funny. Is not it? But amuse only Mexicans. And, for example, in Georgia, preparing a "laconic" corn tortillas.
Mchadi Georgia
Recipes mchadi and tortillas are very similar, but it is different dishes. If interested "feel the difference", cook both and compare.
Ingredients:
- Corn flour (3 cups)
- Butter (50 g)
- Water (half cup)
- Salt
By the sifted flour add a pat of butter, a pinch of salt and adding water, knead a soft and slightly sticky dough. Wet hands form the oblong dough patty that are laid on the heated pan and bake in the oven. This method of cooking mchadi closest to baking them in a traditional stone pans "ketsi." But many housewives mchadi fried in a frying pan in vegetable oil (as usual burgers). Serve the cake with cheese (ideally - with or suluguni Imereti).
Polenta from Italy
By and large polenta - it's hearty and tasty porridge, which initially was considered food for the poor. But over time it "saw through" and more affluent Italians, and besides, even "ennobled". Recipes polenta differ mainly additives. It is prepared with cheese, vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, minced meat. For starters try the polenta with cheese.
Ingredients:
- Corn flour (350 g)
- Water (600 ml)
- Milk (400 ml)
- Butter oil (150 g)
- Cheese (200 g)
- Clove garlic
- A piece of stale bread
- Greenery
Preparation:
Prepare in advance for cheese polenta (rubbed on a grater) and garlic oil. For the latter, melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the crushed garlic clove. To take only tolstodonnuyu polenta pot. Water and pour the milk into a saucepan and boil. Then add to the crumbled bread and, stirring constantly, pour all the flour. Cook it over low heat, without ceasing to interfere with (easier to do it with wooden spatula). Cook the polenta for about fifteen minutes, add to it grated cheese. Adding small amounts, waiting until all the cheese is dissolved in a mess. At the end pour garlic oil and remove the pan from the heat. Serve with greens.
Corn bread from America (by Stephen King)
Are you surprised? No, of course, the master of literary horror did not invent this recipe, and even he was not published anywhere. But in his works corn bread is very often mentioned. Remember the "Green Mile"? And the corn bread, which the hero of Tom Hanks regaled black giant? And, certainly, this bread was prepared according to the traditional recipe, which is at a premium at all housewives southern US states.
Ingredients:
- A glass of corn meal
- A glass of sour milk
- Tablespoons sugar
- Part glass of water
- Egg
- Butter (2 tablespoons)
- Baking powder (sachet)
- Salt
- Soda for food (a quarter of a teaspoon)
Preparation:
In advance turn the oven and place it in an empty tolstodonnuyu pan (even heated). Meanwhile, pour into a bowl a tablespoon of flour and fill it with boiling water (half cup). Whisking whisk brewed flour, add to it sour milk (yogurt, yogurt) and egg. In another bowl, mix the remaining flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder and pour it all into a liquid mixture. Knead the dough (a whisk or fork, but not with a mixer) to dissolve all lumps.
We get out of the oven pan and melt the butter in it. Oil poured into the dough, and it remains lubricates the whole pan. Once again mix the batter and pour it into the mold. Bake for about twenty minutes or thirty. Ready corn is determined from the golden brown and the time it will start to move away from the sides of the pan.
Note:
Spicy additives and filling (paprika, saffron, garlic, fried meats, cheese and so forth.) Was added to the batter just before it is poured into the mold.
Generally corn flour is considered a dietary and healthy products. Knowingly recipes from her such a "multinational". So do not pass by, he saw on the counter of a supermarket bag with cornmeal. Try yourself as a researcher of ancient Aztec culture, which not only liked corn, but also worshiped her, calling her his golden sun.