I bought corn meal on a whim the other day and decided to use it to make masa cakes. They’re hot, flavorful, and very quick. The kale slaw is meant to compliment to the flavor, but it’s not a must. You could also make a corn and black bean salad and top your masa cakes with that.
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Masa Cakes with Kale Slaw
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
The kale slaw is meant to compliment the flavor, but it’s not a must. You could also make a corn and black bean salad and top your masa cakes with that.
Ingredients
for the masa cakes
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
- 2 cups masa harina corn flour
- Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
for the kale slaw
- 1 head kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 an orange, juiced
- 1/2 a lemon, juiced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 red onion, sliced very thinly
- 1 rounded tablespoon mayonnaise
Instructions
for the masa cakes
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Make the corn cakes: Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat just until the butter melts. Combine the masa harina, 1 teaspoon salt, the sugar and queso fresco in a large bowl. Stir in the milk mixture to make a soft dough. Scoop the dough into 8 portions (about 1/4 cup each) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with another sheet of parchment; press a pan on top to flatten into disks.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the corn cakes until crisp and golden on the bottom, about 3 1/2 minutes; flip, press lightly with a spatula and cook until golden on the other side. Continue with the remaining cakes, adding more oil as needed. Season the cakes with salt; place on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you finish the remainder of them.
for the kale slaw
- Chop up your kale and mix everything up! Voila!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use masa harina, or can I substitute regular cornmeal?
You need masa harina specifically — it is nixtamalized corn flour and it behaves completely differently from regular cornmeal. With masa harina, warm milk and butter, and queso fresco, you get a soft pliable dough that holds together in the pan. Cornmeal would give you a gritty, crumbly result.
Why keep the cooked cakes in a 200 degree oven while I finish the batch?
Frying in batches means the first cakes cool down while you are working through the rest. Holding them at 200 degrees keeps them warm and crisp without continuing to cook them. Season each cake with salt as it comes out of the pan before sliding it onto the baking sheet.
Is the kale slaw essential, or can I top these with something else?
The kale slaw is meant to complement the flavor, not carry the dish. You could just as easily make a corn and black bean salad and pile that on top instead. The masa cakes are hot and flavorful on their own, so whatever topping you choose is really about your mood.
What do you do with the egg?