Drive any main road out of Caracas and before long you will pass roadside stalls with smoke rising from wide griddles and a hand painted sign promising cachapas. A cachapa is a pancake made from tender corn, jojoto, blended to a coarse batter and cooked on a budare until freckled and sweet. It is folded over queso de mano, a soft, stretchy, lightly salted fresh cheese made by hand, and eaten warm, often with a slick of butter and sometimes with fried pork alongside.

Cachapas are a weekend food, a road trip food and a crowd food, cooked to order while you wait. At home they come together in a blender in five minutes and on the griddle in another five, and they turn a television race into something closer to a day out.

The batter

Ingredients

• 4 cups (about 600 g) sweet corn kernels
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup (40 g) masarepa
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter

Method

1. Put the corn, egg, milk, sugar and salt in the blender. Pulse 8 to 10 times, then blend on low for 20 seconds. Add the masarepa and melted butter and pulse a few times to mix. Leave for 5 minutes.

Cooking and filling

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 12 oz (340 g) queso de mano

Method

1. Heat the skillet over medium low heat for 3 minutes. Rub a little butter over the surface with a folded paper towel.
2. Pour in about 1/2 cup (120 ml) batter and spread it with the back of the ladle into a round about 6 inches (15 cm) across and 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes without touching it.
3. Slide the spatula fully underneath and turn the cachapa over in one confident movement. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Lay two or three slices of cheese over one half while the cachapa is still in the pan, fold the other half over, and leave for 30 seconds. Slide onto the plate, cover with the towel and repeat with the rest of the batter.

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