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    Couche-Couche

    Source of Recipe


    "The Prudhomme Family Cookbook" by Paul Prudhomme

    List of Ingredients


    • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 â…” cups hot tap water, in all
    • â…“ cup corn oil or other vegetable oil
    • Milk
    • Cane syrup or fruit preserves, optional


    Instructions


    1. Combine the cornmeal and salt in a large bowl, mixing well. Gradually add 1 â…“ cups of the water, stirring until well blended. Set aside.

    2. In a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, 4 to 5 minutes. (Note: If your burner produces a very high heat, turn it down a bit.) Carefully spoon the cornmeal into the hot oil and spread it evenly over the pan bottom. Cook without stirring (this is the key to success — don't stir!) until a thick well-browned crust forms on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture burn.

    3. Once the thick bottom crust has been formed, turn cornmeal over by forkfuls. Add the remaining â…“ cup water evenly over the top and cook until no oil remains in the pan bottom and cornmeal is uniformly golden and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes more, turning chunks occasionally and carefully with the fork so mixture stays lumpy. The finished couche-couche should still be quite moist. Remove from the heat and serve immediately in bowls with milk poured over the top. Add fruit preserves or syrup, if desired.

      Makes 4 to 6 breakfast servings



      • Lagniappe:
      "The browned parts from the initial crust taste best and are really what make the dish so good, so be sure to disturb the mixture as little as possible until that first crust forms. Test crust by using a fork to lift up very small chunks from 3 to 4 different spots and peek underneath; make sure you press chunks back in place as quickly as possible. If the undercrust looks scorched, don't be alarmed — it may look charred, but probably is not. Taste it immediately and discard only any small spots that are bitter."



 

 

 


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