Nobody should be intimidated by a chorreada. These Costa Rican corn pancakes are wonderfully simple. In fact, they really just have one ingredient: fresh corn. Plus a little salt for taste, and a some butter (or coconut oil) for the skillet.
Chorreadas were created long ago by native Costa Rican grandmothers, and haven’t changed much since then. They are good food, heart-food, soul-food. Elkin, a descendant of the Malekhu natives, taught my father how to make chorreadas. Now they argue over who makes them better (each claiming the other’s are superior). Today, Elkin harvests the corn and my dad makes it into pancakes.
The recipe is simple and changeable, as long as you stay true to the original ingredients. Fresh corn must be used–we’ve tried canned and frozen corn, and it simply doesn’t work as well. That said, you can always substitute coconut oil for butter, omit the salt, and even include toppings that you could never find in Costa Rica. Sour cream or crema is the traditional topping. These fresh corn pancakes are savory, but a little sweet. Thus, they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or all three. Find the recipe below:
- Shuck/peel the corn. Using a sharp knife, slice the kernels off the cob into a large bowl.
- Add salt and a little water (just enough to turn it into a paste)
- Blend ingredients in a vita mix (okay, the vita mix is not traditional, but I'm guessing you don't have a stone grinder in your cupboard). The mixture is done when it has reached the consistency of pancake batter. Meanwhile, heat a small amount of coconut oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Pour the mixture onto the skillet in pancake-sized blobs. Use the back of a spoon to make round. Flip after about 30 seconds, and allow to cook through. Serve hot.
"Chorrear" means "to pour" in Spanish. Chorreadas are thus named because they are poured onto the skillet.
—
Nicholas Tippins
Those pancakes look yummy, PLUS you guys are incredibly cute.