Chenchén (Cracked Corn Pilaf) comes to us from the southwest provinces of the Dominican Republic, and it is a delicious substitute for rice in our diet.
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I was born in the northwest of the Dominican Republic, and it wasn’t until I was an adult that I even heard of Chenchén (Cracked Corn Pilaf). What a shame!
I’ve mentioned this many, many times: For such a small country this one has so many regional variations in its cuisine that it’s entirely possible to reach adulthood without trying something that is a staple on the other side of the country.
This dish hails from the southwest, the opposite point of my family’s place of origin, and although northwestern cuisine has been influenced by neighboring Haiti (notably the use of thyme in our cuisine, which seems very rare outside the region), the Haitian influence in the southwest is even stronger. Chenchén is a dish that the Dominican Republic has in common with Haiti (with some differences in ingredients, I believe, and a different name: mais moulu).
What is chenchén?
Chenchén is a savory cracked corn-based dish. It can be variously described as having a pilaf-like to risotto-like texture, depending on the cook’s taste.
Please do not confuse chenchén with chacá, a corn-based dessert, also from the southwest.
If I had a penny for every time someone wrote to me requesting we added this recipe, I’d have… exactly 13 cents. Not a lot, mind you, but the point is: this recipe, although unknown to me for a long time seems to be very popular among our readers. And I can see why.
About our chenchén recipe
Please keep in mind that every family seems to have their preferred version of this dish. It is most commonly made with milk and/or coconut milk, though not everyone does. It varies in texture and consistency, from a dish similar to a creamy Italian polenta to the pilaf-like dish I show here. I would love to hear what version you prefer.
In the photo above I served it with Bacalao a la Criolla (Codfish a la Dominicana), a staple of Lent cuisine in our country, but traditionally this dish goes better with braised goat, as pictured in the first image.
Buen provecho!
Chenchén Recipe (Cracked Corn Pilaf)
Ingredients
- 3 cups peeled , cracked corn
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
- 5 cups of vegetable broth , salted to taste (see notes)
Instructions
- Rinse the corn in abundant water to get rid of stray peels and excess starch.
- Soak the corn in abundant water for two hours. Drain all the water before cooking.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil or butter over low heat.
- Add the cracked corn and cook and stir until it changes to a darker yellow color.
- Add broth and cook over medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and cover. Let it settle for 5 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve (it should be “al dente”)
Where do I get cracked corn? Where to buy it?
I buy mine at the supermarket. Please see the notes for more.
Thank you for this recipe. I had never heard of it and lived half my life on the island and in different regions. Would you say that this is what is made in the Cibao with milk and sweetened called maiz en crema o maiz caquiao? Will be trying this for sure!
This is a different dish, Johanna. The one you are thinking of is probably maíz caquiao.
hi i’m from a little town of San Juan called EL CERCADO and this is a very popular dish there but we cook it very differently;your version sounds good too and much simple to prepare.
My family is originally from San Juan but though your version looks good I havent seen it done this way. Our version is creamier, seasoned, and has coconut. Have you tried that version? Almost like grits.
Yes, I have tried it with coconut. It has complex tastes, and I loved it. For this I decided to go with the simpler version, because it just didn’t go well with seafood otherwise.
MY FAMILY IS FRON SAN JAUN DE LA MAGUANA, D.R. THEY LOVE CHENCHEN