This recipe is from my friend Alice, for her family’s version of a very traditional Paraguayan dish. It’s delicious – sort of a cross between corn bread and a corn souffle or pudding, and you can eat it alone like a casserole, or kind of like polenta, topped with, or alongside a stew or chili.

Alice says: “I don’t really have set measurements, but it’s one of those can’t mess up dishes, it always tastes good even if it’s not exact. It’s great in the summer when corn is cheap and abundant, but it’s good in the fall/winter too; we always make it for Thanksgiving. It’s a good vegetarian dish.”

This recipe will make a large pyrex of chipa, you can half for a smaller batch.

8 or more ears corn (you can use frozen or canned if you must, but even out-of-season fresh is better)

• 1 large sweet or yellow onion diced fine
• 1/3 -1/2 cup corn oil
• 1/2-1 cup water
• salt
• 6 eggs- separated
• 1-2 cups grated cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)- any kind that melts well, like colby jack or munster
• 1 cup milk, half and half or cream (depending on how rich you want it)
• 1 cup corn meal, reg. flour, or a mix (corn meal makes it taste cornier, but flour works too)
• cooking spray or a little more oil for the pyrex

1.) preheat the oven to 400. Clean off the corn, and cut off kernels, make sure to scrape the cob. If you want, blend all or 3/4 of the kernels in a food processor or blender, this is for a creamier texture, otherwise if you prefer chunkier, leave the corn kernels whole. Put in a really big bowl, you’ll mix everything into the corn.

2.) heat the oil in a deep fry pan on med. low, add onions before the oil is too hot. You do not want the onions to brown, you just want them translucent. Add enough water so the onions are submerged. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of salt, or as much as you think you’d like. You add it here so it dissolves and brings out the onion flavor. You may have to add more water as the onions cook down and the water evaporates, this is to keep the onions from browning. Cook the onions until they are very soft and practically invisible, maybe 10-15 minutes? on pretty low heat. Take off the heat and let cool while you do the next steps. There will be maybe 2-3 teaspoons of oil left with the onions, that’s ok you add it all to the corn.

3.) beat the egg whites in a mixer until they make soft peaks. Then add the yolks and beat just until they are incorporated. Set aside.

4.) put the cheese, milk, onions and oil in with the corn. Then add the corn meal or flour and stir it well. Finally, fold in the eggs gently. If it’s still really liquid, you may add more corn meal or flour, but if it’s oatmeal consistency it’s fine.

5.) spray the pyrex with cooking spray or rub a little corn oil all over the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour in the mixture and bake for about 40 minutes to an hour, until the top and sides are brown and it’s set in the middle. (meaning it won’t jiggle when you shake the pan). If you put in a tooth pick it will probably never come out completely clean, and the chipa should be more like souffl and less like cake or bread.

Eat it while it’s hot and steamy, or cold as left overs. Good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, May 6th, 2006 at 6:30 pm and is filed under entrees.