masa harina pancakes

This is a little blast from the past. I first published this recipe in 2012 (!!), when the verdigris was a pretty cheesy little blogger blog, and my photography relied, sadly, on some really unfortunate instagram filters. But I really like this recipe and I didn’t want to banish it down the memory hole of terrible photography, so I thought I would do an updated shoot and share it again.

These pancakes use masa harina, the same corn flour that gives corn tortillas their delightfully doughy-corny flavour. They are fragrant, sweetly corny and savoury at the same time. And super fluffy. This recipe makes a pretty thick batter, that puffs up into fairly thick and puffy, fluffy pancakes. They are perfect for lazy Sundays with some milky coffee and maybe a little bacon.

You can find masa in well stocked grocery stores or Mexican groceries, look for Maseca brand, it’s the most common.

Masa harina pancakes:

adapted from Bon Appetit

• 3/4 cup masa harina flour

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 2 tbs cornmeal

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tbs sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 3 tbs butter melted, plus a little for the pan

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add egg and buttermilk and slowly add melted butter while stirring; mix until just combined with no big lumps. Drop half cups of batter into a buttered skillet over medium high heat. Cook until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.

grilled haloumi & pearl couscous salad

It is time for the big summer salad. What you need in your life right now is a big, herby, hearty salad that can sit in the fridge and get better with time. You can cook once and eat this for the better part of a week. It’s worth doubling to really get you set up for the next few days’ meals without having to turn on the stove. Adding some grilled chicken or fish would make a heartier dish, but just this salad is plenty for quick summer dinner.

Halloumi is a delightfully squeaky, salty cheese. It has the fantastic property of not melting when roasted or grilled, so you can pan fry or BBQ it to get a lovely crispy-shattery crust with a very chewy almost meaty-hearty interior. I know it sounds weird, but try it if you haven’t already - it’s fantastic. You can find it often in Greek or Mediterranean specialty groceries, but if you can’t find it, feta will work here too.

halloumi & pearl couscous salad:

Adapted from Bon appetit

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup pearl or Israeli couscous
• 2 cups corn kernels, frozen is fine
• 2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil
• 8 ounces Halloumi cheese, sliced lengthwise ¾-inch thick
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Toast walnuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat stirring frequently. When fragrant and golden, remove from heat and roughly chop. Set aside to cool.

In a medium pot of salted water, cook couscous according to package directions, until just tender.

Grill halloumi in a tablespoon of olive oil in a grill pan (or a frying pan) over medium heat. Let the cheese get a good caramelization before flipping, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat, cube and set aside.

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

chicken posole

Hominy corn is a marvel. It's the kind of corn used to make corn tortillas and grits. It’s big, fluffy, starchy, nutty and not at all sweet like smaller yellow corn. It’s really not something you can swap out in this recipe, so hunt through the well stocked markets & Mexican food shops where you live. I can only find canned hominy in Victoria, but dried is good too if you can get it. You will just need to treat it like beans: soak overnight and then boil in plenty of water until tender but chewy. If you can’t find this corn where you live, it’s worth doing an online order. It really makes the whole soup.

I put a lot of tomatoes in this soup, which is not the most traditional way to make posole, but it’s really good. The other thing that really makes posole pop is lots of toppings. I like to add avocado slices, queso fresco or feta crumbles, cilantro and squeeze in lots of   lime. Finely sliced radish, shredded cabbage and crispy tortilla strips are great too.

It freezes really well, so I often make a big batch to freeze and take for my lunch. Just remember to pack a little toppings kit to take with you. 

chicken posole:

• 1 whole bulb garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 large yellow onion, or 2 shallots
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp crushed chili flakes
• 2 pounds tomatoes, or 2 tins crushed tomatoes
• A couple whole dried chilies, I think mine were guajillo, but, embarrassingly, I didn’t label my chili jar.
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 large cans hominy corn, about 4 cups
• Salt and pepper to taste

To serve; avocado, crumbled feta or queso fresco cheese, cilantro, strips of fried tortillas and lime wedges

Sauté the garlic and onion in a large heavy pot on medium heat until fragrant and beginning to colour. Add cumin and chili flakes and cook a few more minutes until very fragrant. Add tomatoes. Rinse chilies and soak for a few minutes in hot water.

Add chicken stock, chicken breasts and soaked chilies. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Pull out the chicken and set aside to cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, purée the soup until all vegetables are completely incorporated. Add hominy corn to soup and heat on medium. Shred the chicken finely with two forks and add into soup. Heat through and serve in bowls, with lots of toppings.