Paraguayan Cornbread Recipes

PARAGUAYAN CHEESE & ONION CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a small skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil in over medium-high heat. Add two sliced or chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk four egg yolks with 10 oz cheese and a teaspoon of salt. Mix in the sautéed onions and one cup of milk. Add 1/2 pound corn flour and whisk until incorporated. Pour in the remaining milk and mix with a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, if using.
• In a separate bowl, beat the four egg whites on high speed until foamy and stiff peak forms. Fold into the cornmeal mixture.
• Grease a 9" non-stick round or square baking dish with two tablespoons of olive oil. Pour in the mixture and bake until golden brown, for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and slice into wedges or squares.

PARAGUAYAN CORN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and set aside.
• Heat butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, cook 5 minutes or until soft. Place onion mixture in a food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups corn and cottage cheese; process until almost smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Place pureed mixture in a large bowl. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup corn, cornmeal, cheddar cheese, milk, salt and black pepper.
• Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into batter; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon into prepared pan.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if it becomes too brown). Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Place a plate upside down on top of bread, invert onto plate. Cut into wedges.

PARAGUAYAN CORNBREAD (SOPA PARAGUAYA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400*. With a pastry brush coat the bottom and sides of an 81/2-or 9-inch square shallow baking dish with 1 Tblsp. of the soft butter, then scatter 1 Tblsp. of flour or grated parmesan over the bottom of the dish.
• Tip the dish from side to side to spread the flour or cheese evenly on the buttered surfaces and set the dish aside.
• Place the corn in the jar of an electric blender and blend at high speed until it becomes a smooth puree.
• In a large bowl, combine the pureed corn, cornmeal, milk, 1/4 cup olive oil, grated munster cheese and salt, and mix thoroughly.
• In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 or 5 minutes, or until they are soft and transparent but not brown.
• With a rubber spatula, scrape the onions into the corn and cornmeal mixture. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or an electric mixer until they are firm enough to form unwavering peaks on the beater when it is lifted out of the bowl.
• Beat the yolks in a separate bowl until they are thick and lemon colored, then fold them into the egg whites. Gently but thoroughly fold the combined eggs into the corn mixture, then pour it into the prepared baking dish.
• Dot the top with the remaing 1 Tblsp. of the butter. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes.

MBEJU (PARAGUAYAN CHEESE FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• Combine cassava flour, salt, cayenne, butter, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl by rubbing the mixture between your fingertips until the mixture resembles large, coarse crumbs. Drizzle in about 1/3 cup of milk and continue mixing and rubbing with your hands until the mixture resembles very small pebbles and is moist enough to hold together in large clumps when squeezed tightly together, adding more milk if needed.
• Place a small (6-inch) dry, nonstick pan over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Transfer in a heaping 1/2-cup of the mixture, or enough to cover the bottom of the pan. The mixture should be 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch deep for this to work. Press the top of the mixture down slightly to settle and use a spatula to go around the edges of the mixture, pressing any loose crumbs back into the flatbread.
• Cover and cook until the bottom is golden browned, a crust forms under the flatbread, and a spatula can be slid underneath, about 3 minutes per side. Turn over with a combination of tossing the pan up slightly, while flipping with the spatula. You can also place a plate over the pan, and invert the flatbread to turn, and then slide back into the pan. Cook the other side until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat allow to rest for 2 minutes before serving warm.