Mielie, also known as maize or an ear of corn, has long been the basis of African cuisine. In South Africa, each community has different preferences when it comes to eating mielie but certain dishes do have the approval of all. Some examples of recipes are; fresh “green” mielies roasted and eaten on the cob, dried and broken maize kernels called samp (samp and beans!), and dried maize kernels ground fine into maize-meal, which is used for everything from porridge to dumplings.
Try whipping up this simple recipe with baby Mielies at home!
Baby Mielies with Smoked Butter, Chillies, Lemon and Garlic
For the butter:
1 stick of salted butter, softened
1 stick of smoked butter, softened
2 red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped
the finely grated zest of a lemon
a squeeze of lemon juice
a big clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
salt and black pepper.
Two pints (or packages) of baby mielies, or 6 whole mielies cut into thirds.
To make the flavoured butter, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Go easy on the salt, though, as the butter is already salted. Pack the butter into a small bowl and place in the fridge to firm up.
Grill the baby mielies over a medium flame, until just tender, or cook in a griddle pan.
Serve hot with the cold butter and enjoy!
