Canjica

🌽 Tender white maize in a coconut-milk and egg custard scented with cinnamon. This version starts with already cooked maize.

Ingredients

• 400 g fully cooked white hominy or maize sold for canjica, drained weight
• 300 ml unsweetened culinary coconut milk
• 100 ml water
• 2 medium eggs
• 60 g sugar
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon for serving, optional
• 1 small pinch salt, optional

Preparation

Check that maize is fully cooked. Rinse if the package requires and drain. This recipe does not include cooking raw dried maize.

Combine coconut milk, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and optional salt in a heavy saucepan. Heat gently to the first simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Beat eggs in a bowl. Remove the pan from heat, wait one minute, then gradually whisk about one third of the hot liquid into the eggs.

Return the egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining liquid. Add cooked maize and mix.

Cook over low heat, stirring across the whole bottom until thickened and eggs are fully cooked. A thermometer should read about 82–84°C while stirring. Avoid a strong boil; allow generally 8–12 minutes depending on the pan and starting temperature.

Remove the cinnamon stick. Divide among four small bowls and optionally dust with cinnamon. Serve warm.

For a cold dessert, cool bowls quickly and refrigerate within two hours. Do not leave egg custard at room temperature for hours.