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Dominican chenchén
Cracked corn pilaf
Chenchén: cracked-corn pilaf from Barahona and San Juan, Dominican Republic
In the south-west of the Dominican Republic, around Barahona and San Juan de la Maguana, chenchén is what goes under the Sunday chivo guisado instead of rice. Cracked dried corn is cooked with coconut milk, onion, garlic, a stick of cinnamon and a little butter until the grains swell and turn fluffy and tender with a gentle sweetness. Here it is served as a side for vegetarian stews or with beans. The common mistake is stirring it constantly like polenta; it should be left covered to steam so the grains stay separate. Chef's tip: toast the cracked corn in the butter for a couple of minutes before adding liquid for a nuttier flavour.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 oz butter
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- ½ red pepperfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 10 ½ oz cracked dried corn (maíz partido)rinsed (or coarse hominy grits)
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Melt 1 oz butter in a heavy pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion and ½ red pepper for 5 minutes until soft. Add 2 cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute.
6 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz cracked dried corn (maíz partido) and stir for 2 minutes until the grains smell toasty.
2 minStep 3: Pour in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk and 2 cups water, add 1 cinnamon stick and 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil, stirring once.
4 minStep 4: Cover tightly, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender with no hard core. Add a splash of hot water if it dries out before then.
28 minStep 5: Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then remove the cinnamon and fluff with a fork. Serve hot with stews or beans.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dominican chenchén take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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