Lifestyle
Pap cakes topped with mini portabellini mushrooms
Maize meal is cooked slowly in chicken stock until smooth and thick, then finished with butter and fresh spring onions for extra flavour.
Traditionally made with maize meal, pap is a staple in many households. But here, it’s transformed into crisp golden cakes, topped with creamy tahini cheese and savoury mushrooms. Recipe compliments of South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
Ingredients
For the pap
- 180g g maize meal
- 750 ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 spring onions thinly sliced
For the mushrooms
- 6 spring onions thinly sliced
- 250 g mini portabellini mushrooms quartered
- 1 tbsp butter
For the cakes
- 125 ml cream cheese
- 3 tbsp tahini
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tbsp za’atar for serving
- clarified butter / ghee for cooking
Method
For the pap
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Bring stock to a simmer in a large pot.
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Pour in the maize meal and whisk constantly until smooth.
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Simmer and stir for 10 minutes until cooked.
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Stir in the butter and spring onions. Season well to taste.
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Pour the maize meal into a dish or tray that is ± 1.5 – 2cm deep and smooth the surface.
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Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for ± 4 hours or overnight to set.
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Cut the firm maize meal into little rounds using a glass or cookie cutter.
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Heat a non-stick frying pan with a dollop of ghee / clarified butter over high heat.
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Place pap cakes into the hot pan in batches and cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
For the mushrooms
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Into the same pan add the sliced spring onions.
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Cook on high heat until beginning to char.
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Add in the sliced mushrooms and the butter.
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Sauté until the mushrooms are just tender. Season lightly.
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Whisk the cream cheese and tahini together and season with a pinch of salt.
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Spread a dollop of tahini cream cheese onto each pap cake.
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Top with a generous mound of mushrooms and spring onions.
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Sprinkle everything with a little za’atar and serve straight away.
