This is a modern dessert-style cake from Senegal that uses the native small-grain millet Fonio as the star of the dish. Here whole fonio is used (it looks like fine semolina and you can cook it in the same manner).
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 40 minutes/Makes: 8 ramekins
Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
1l of milk
50g of butter
240g of fonio
120g caster sugar
8 tbsp salted butter caramel
1 vanilla pod, split and with seeds scraped out
Method:
Combine the milk, split vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as the milk boils take off the heat then set aside, covered, for the vanilla to infuse.
Remove the vanilla pod then whisk the fonio and sugar into the vanilla milk. Place over low heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and add the butter.
In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 165°C.
Beat the egg yolks into the fonio mixture. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a clean and dry bowl then carefully fold into the fonio mixture with a metal spoon (be careful to keep the air in the egg whites).
Place a tablespoon of salted butter caramel in the base of 8 ramekins then spoon over the sponge mixture.
Sit the ramekins on a baking tray, place in the centre of your pre-heated oven and cook for 30 minutes, until nicely risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
