Sunday 21 June 2015

Peruvian Pan-Demonium!

Fritelle di Annanas, Polenta & Ricotta Fresca con Huacatay
Pineapple, Polenta & Ricotta Pancakes with Huacatay (Peruvian Black Mint)

 

No, it isn't cannabis, I promise! Although its flavor, once you have become accustomed to it, could get to be quite addictive!

Huacatay, or "Peruvian black mint", does indeed come from Peru (or in my case, from the Frankfurter Kleinmarkthalle), but to me it has more of a citrus flavor... Refreshing and vibrant and so delicious!


 

Of course, I am neither Peruvian, nor do I have any knowledge of Peruvian cuisine... But I have discovered this wonderful herb by golly, and I intend to use it!

I have used this in sweet and savory dishes in the past, and often pitch up a little bundle when I see it at the market hall. I like to use it in both sweet and savory dishes- and you can be sure to see more during the rest of the week!


 

So for this morning's breakfast, I improvised some simple pancakes, using pineapple, which I find goes wonderfully with the flavor of huacatay.

To make 10 little pancakes, I needed just 1 egg, 1/3rd of a small pineapple, 2 tablespoons of fresh ricotta, 3 tablespoons of polenta, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a little butter for frying. Oh! And a little sprig of those magical leaves!


 

These harmless and ordinary looking little pancakes are anything but ordinary... They are packed with such a punch of tropical flavor that you will definitely be in for a surprise! But at the same time, tangy and fruity as they are, I am sure you will be as thrilled with their refreshingly new flavor as I was!

 

To make the pancakes, I needed to purée the pineapple, so of course it needed to be diced up a little to make that easier to do.

 

I then mixed the polenta, the egg yolk, cinnamon and baking powder into the puréed pineapple and stirred them together thoroughly.

 

Next came the ricotta, the chopped up huacatay (5-6 leaves) and 1 tablespoon of honey. You can add more, or use sugar if you prefer.

 

And then last but not least, that single, whisked up egg white, to make the pancakes super fluffy and light.

 

Fry in a little butter and do not attempt to make too many in one go as they are rather delicate and need to be handled with care... But they are worth th extra care and attention... Just like you! Lol!

 
If you are worried about the pancakes being too delicate, you can always add either a little more polenta, or a tablespoon of regular flour into the batter, but if you leave them as light as this, you will appreciate the difference for sure  

 

And here they are, in all of their sunshine-yellow perfection!

As I already mentioned, they do have a very intense flavor of their own in comparison to regular pancakes... So the best thing to do is to add something neutral and refreshing and light to them...



And what could be better than simply a spoonful more of ricotta and a little more honey? Mmmm!

 

On a dull and rainy day like this, these really helped to give me the sunshine I was missing! Hopefully they will for all of you good people too! Enjoy!

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