51. Cremina & Pupusas

Eat & Drink with Ali Hassan & Marco Timpano

Comedians Ali Hassan & Marco Timpano, discuss, lament & come to terms with Food & Drink. They bring over a quarter century of restaurant experience to the podcast table.

This weeks episode: CREMINA & PUPUSAS

Cremina (coffee creamed sugar)

This will only work with espresso, you can try with other coffees and good luck to you. It's easy to make difficult to describe. Take the time to make this for yourself and enjoy life.

Directions

Put your moka on the stove and the second espresso starts to come up, pull it off the stovetop.

In a bowl put 10 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl.

Remember as soon as the coffee starts to rise, remove the moka fand pour the first drops of coffee (which are the creamiest and have the most intense flavor) in the bowl with the sugar.

Put the moka back on the stove over low heat. Use circular movements to mix the sugar and espresso with a teaspoon until a sufficiently thick cream forms. The more you stir it the creamer it will get. Remember in this case "creamed" means fully stirred like "creamed butter" no cream goes into the Cremona.

BLACK BEAN PUPUSAS!

You can fill them with ground beef, carnitas, pastor, refried beans, cheese, chicharonnes.....there are many possibilities. In this version took one delicious ingredient and focused on that!

FOR THE BLACK BEANS FILLING

• 1 can black beans (or 1 1/2 cups dried beans, soaked overnight)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 red onion, minced fine
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 3 tbsp (or to taste) canned chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce, chopped fine

1. heat the oil over medium heat, in a heavy bottomed pot
2. add onion and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes
3. add the dry spices, tomatoes, paste and chipotle pepper
4. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, periodically adding water or stock to make sure it doesnt get dry
5. Using a hand blender or spatula, mash 2/3 of the beans.
6. Let cool before handling

FOR THE PUPUSAS (CORN CAKES):

• 2 cups Masa Harina (white or yellow corn flour) or Instant Masa - which I used
• 1 3/4 cups warm-ish water
• pinch of salt

1. Add Masa and salt to a large mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add water, mixing the dough with your hand. The masa needs to be the consistency of playdough. If it’s too dry, add more water, tbsp by tbsp
3. Scoop the dough into large, golf-ball-size portions. Cover them with a damp cloth as you go or they will dry out.
4. Using your palms, pat the balls into a disc, about 4 inches in diameter.
5. Scoop a half tablespoon (too much generosity here would be a mistake!) of the beans into the center of the dough circle
6. Gently pinch the edges of the dough up and around the filling, finally pinching it closed into a ball. Pat the dough between your palms to form it into a disc again. Here's a great video demo if you feel you need one: https://youtu.be/kFkFDaFSx7Q
7. Heat a large skillet or flattop. Coat with a little oil or ghee. Place pupusas on the hot pan and cook for about 2-4 minutes on each side. When the edges are set and the bottom is golden brown, they are ready to be flipped.

Enjoy with a side of curtido (Salvadorian coleslaw) and salsa!

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