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Fluffy Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes with Mató Cheese

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Photo by Tara Shain.

I am not usually a huge fan of pancakes.

Sounds crazy, right? Who doesn't like pancakes? They look good. So pretty. So Instagramable. But I often find them insipid and soggy. These pancakes, however, are different. These pancakes I really like. The cornmeal gives them texture and depth of flavor, while the mató cheese and eggs give them a structure and creamy-custardy center reminiscent of Dutch baby pancakes. Yet they are so light and impressively fluffy.

Blueberries are a nice addition if they are in season, but they aren't essential. If I don't have blueberries on hand I like them plain with just a bit of lemon juice and powdered sugar. For me, these pancakes are all about fluffy corn goodness.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together: flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, mató cheese, vanilla, melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice.
  3. Combine dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, whisking until just combined. Do not over mix; it's ok if there are still a few lumps in there. Allow the batter to rest for at least 15 minutes so that the dry ingredients can absorb the liquids. The batter will be very thick.
  4. Since the blueberries always sink to the bottom of the batter when mixed in, I prefer instead to add 6-8 blueberries to each pancake as I make them.
  5. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Brush with just enough butter or cooking oil to coat the surface.
  6. Drop the pancake batter by ⅓ cup onto the pan and sprinkle 6-8 blueberries onto the pancake. Cook the pancakes for about 3-4 minutes, until the undersides are golden and you see a bubbles popping up through the pancakes. Flip the pancakes and cook another 2-3 minutes, until golden. (Getting the pan just the right temperature always take me a couple of tries—too hot and the center is raw while the outside is nearly burnt, too cool and it takes what seems like ages to cook each pancake.)
  7. Remove and place into a warm oven until all the pancakes are finished.
  8. Serve hot!

I like to eat these pancakes with lots of butter, fresh lemon juice, powdered sugar and more blueberries on top. They're also good with slivered almonds, sliced bananas, maple syrup, fruit jam, lemon curd or whipped cream.

Makes 12 pancakes.

What Is Mató & What Can I Substitute for It?

Mató is a Catalan fresh cheese usually made with cow's milk; it is a sweet, unsalted, unfermented cheese that has a slightly grainy texture, but is smooth and spreadable. Here in Catalunya it is most often eaten for desert as mel i mató: a scoop of mató cheese is drizzled with honey and topped with toasted walnuts and raisins.

Don't worry if you can't find mató; it can be difficult to find outside of Catalunya. You can use ricotta cheese in its place; it is similar enough in texture, flavor and fat content to work wonderfully in this recipe. (Most mató found at the supermarket is 10% fat and ricotta is around 13% fat.)

*What Kind of Cornmeal?

Cornmeal like we have in the States can be hard to come by here. Often health-food stores carry a very finely ground cornmeal, but I find its texture too fine and the flavor too mild for these pancakes. I prefer instead a cornmeal used to make arepas—the brands P.A.N. and Doñarepa are both widely available in most supermarkets in Barcelona.

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