Güirilas

Ingredients

Corn

• 8 earsof young sweetcorn, in their husks
• 3 tbspcaster sugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 2 tbspdouble cream or milk, if the corn is dry

To serve

• 300 gcuajada, or a fresh salty white cheese
• sour cream
• butter

Equipment

• the reserved husks
• a comal or heavy griddle

Directions

1. Peel the husks back carefully and pull them off whole. Rinse the husks and pat them dry. Pull off the silk from the cobs and discard it. Stand each cob upright in a bowl and slice the kernels off with a heavy knife.
2. Cut close to the cob but do not scrape into the tough base of the kernels. That milky liquid carries a great deal of the flavour, so keep it. Put the kernels and their milk into a food processor. You want a thick coarse paste with texture still in it. Add the sugar and salt and pulse once more to combine.
3. Add the cream only if the paste looks dry and will not hold. The paste should be thick enough to mound on a spoon. Let it stand for ten minutes so the starch begins to swell. Now shaping, which is done directly onto the husks.
4. Lay a husk flat on the work surface. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of paste onto the centre of it. Spread it out with the back of the spoon into a rough oval.
5. Make it about half a centimetre thick and leave a margin around it. Now the griddle, which must be dry and moderate. Heat a comal or heavy pan over a medium heat with no fat in it. Lay the husk on the griddle with the paste facing up.
6. Cook it for about five minutes, until the underside of the husk browns. The husk protects the corn and stops it catching while it sets. Flip the güirila directly onto the griddle with a spatula. Cook it for three minutes on the bare griddle until it takes golden patches.
7. Turn it once more and give the other side two more minutes. It should be firm to the touch and golden in patches, not uniformly brown. Serve them hot, folded over a slab of cuajada cheese. Serve them immediately, since they stiffen as they cool.

Technique

• The corn must be young and milky, since there is no masa or flour to hold it together.
• Pulse the kernels coarsely, since a smooth puree will not set on the griddle.
• Cook on the husk first, which protects the paste until it firms up.

Substitutions

• Feta or a fresh salty white cheese in place of cuajada.
• Baking parchment in place of husks, if you buy loose corn.

Variations

• Savoury, with the sugar left out entirely.
• With the cheese folded inside before griddling.
• Served with rosquillas and coffee at a roadside stand.

History

Sweet young corn tortillas griddled and served with cuajada, a roadside speciality of the northern highlands.

Frequently asked questions

What is Güirilas?

Güirilas is a snack from Nicaragua: sweet young-corn tortillas served with cuajada cheese. Sweet young corn tortillas griddled and served with cuajada, a roadside speciality of the northern highlands.

How long does Güirilas take to make?

Güirilas takes 30 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 güirilas. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Güirilas?

Yes, within limits. Feta or a fresh salty white cheese in place of cuajada. Baking parchment in place of husks, if you buy loose corn.

What is the most important thing to get right in Güirilas?

Cut close to the cob but do not scrape into the tough base of the kernels. That milky liquid carries a great deal of the flavour, so keep it. Put the kernels and their milk into a food processor. You want a thick coarse paste with texture still in it. Add the sugar and salt and pulse once more to combine.