This is a steamed Cape Verdean bread typically served for breakfast. The cooking method is really interesting, in that it’s cooked in an earthenware plant pot over a large tin (can) in which the water boils. The top of the plant pot is covered with a cloth and a cooking lid. An image of the arrangement is shown. The bread comes out plant pot shaped and typically it’s sliced like bread, spread with plenty of butter and eaten with tea or coffee. It is also served for breakfast with molasses and cheese.
Prep time 10 minutes/Cook time 25 minutes/Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1kg (6 2/3 cups) extra fine maize meal (cornmeal)
225g (1 ½ cups) precooked maize meal (cornmeal)
370g (2 cups less 2 tbsp) sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon
750g (3 cups) water
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Work together with your fingers until the mixture resembles a sticky mess.
Work the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve straight into your plant pot (reserve some of the paste for making a seal. Take your empty can and fill half full of water. Sit the plant pot on top and seal around the edges with the reserved paste. Place a sheet of kitchen foil on top of the plant pot then sit a cloth and a saucepan lid on top.
Transfer to your hob and place over medium heat. It should take 20 minutes to cook and the bread should be aromatic by the end. Remove and uncover the plant pot then carefully invert onto the plate. The maize meal bread should just slide out.
Slice, as you would a loaf of bread, spread liberally with butter and serve.
For the breakfast dish of Cuscus, mel i quejo di terra cut a slice of couscous and place in a serving bowl. Accompany with a slice of the mild local goat’s cheese then drizzle with dark brown African honey or drizzle with molasses (sometimes referred to as cane honey).
