Corn Cake (Nicaragua)

To make the corn cake dough, put the cornmeal and orange juice into the bowl of a food processor and season to taste with salt. Process to combine, then keep the motor running while you slowly add the oils. Process until the dough is smooth but firm.

Grease a large ovenproof dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom and sides with a banana leaf. Use two if necessary to cover the dish, overlapping each other—do not cut the leaves as you need will the overhanging parts to cover the dough.

To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and stir-fry for 5–6 minutes over medium heat, until the onion and garlic are golden brown. Transfer to a large bowl, mix in the remaining filling ingredients, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Divide the dough into 4 portions. Spread out 1 portion of dough in a layer on the bottom of the prepared dish. Top this with one-third of the filling mixture. Add another layer of dough, then add a second layer of the filling, using half of the remaining mixture. Top this with another layer of dough, then add a final layer of the filling mixture. Top with the final portion of dough. Cover the dish with the overhanging banana leaves, adding 1 more leaf if necessary to cover the dough completely. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC/Gas Mark 5.

Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 275°F/140°C/Gas Mark 1 and cook for another 30 minutes, until cooked through and browned on top. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Serve with a lightly dressed salad and sriracha sauce on the side.