Campfire Griddle Peruvian Quinoa and Corn Cakes with Aji Amarillo and Fried Eggs

Build a small campfire and let it burn down to a steady bed of glowing coals, then set a cast-iron griddle or heavy skillet over the coals to preheat for about 10 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked white quinoa, cooled
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels, cut from 2 farmers-market ears
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco
• 2 large eggs, beaten (for the batter)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons aji amarillo paste, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard, for the griddle
• 4 large eggs, for frying

Instructions

1. Build a small campfire and let it burn down to a steady bed of glowing coals, then set a cast-iron griddle or heavy skillet over the coals to preheat for about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, corn kernels, scallions, queso fresco and cilantro, tossing until the kernels are evenly distributed.
3. Add the beaten eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, cumin and 2 tablespoons of the aji amarillo paste, then stir until the mixture holds together when pressed in your palm. If it feels loose, add another tablespoon of flour.
4. Form the mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, pressing firmly so they hold on the griddle.
5. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the hot griddle and cook the cakes in batches, about 4 minutes per side, until a deep golden crust forms and the edges crisp. Move them to a cooler corner of the griddle to stay warm.
6. Add the remaining oil and crack in the 4 eggs, frying until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
7. Thin the remaining tablespoon of aji amarillo paste with a splash of water to make a drizzling sauce.
8. Serve two cakes per plate, each topped with a fried egg, a drizzle of aji amarillo and a final scatter of cilantro.
9. Peru's highland kitchens have leaned on quinoa for thousands of years, long before the grain became a global health-food staple, and pairing it with fresh corn is a nod to the two crops that have anchored Andean agriculture since pre-Incan times. Aji amarillo, the sunny orange chili that Peruvians call the soul of their cooking, brings fruity heat rather than blunt fire. Cooking these cakes over an open fire is closer to their origins than any modern stovetop: at high altitude, breakfast has always meant something dense, warm and portable, made on whatever iron you carried up the mountain. It is a perfect campsite breakfast in late August, when sweet corn is at its peak and the mornings finally have a bite of cool in them.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 480 kcal
• Protein: 20g
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 690mg