Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Grease the 12 molds with butter. If you’re using (and I really recommend it) the Silpat Perfect Brownie Mold, then you don’t need to go to a lot of trouble with the greasing - your corn cakes are going to pop out perfectly.

Put the corn kernels into a food processor, along with the shallots and garlic. Pulse for 3–4 seconds, until the mixture is roughly processed but has not turned to a wet purée.

Add the fennel seeds, cumin, sumac, baking powder, butter and egg yolks, along with a heaped teaspoon of salt and a very good grind of black pepper.

Pulse (or mix) a few more times then transfer to a bowl and fold the flour in.

Whisk the egg whites to form firm peaks. Fold a third of the whites gently into the corn mixture – don’t overwork it – and then add the next third and then the next.

Once fully incorporated, divide the mixture between the moulds and then insert a chunk of feta into each. Push it halfway down the corn mixture – the cakes will puff up around the cheese when they cook.

Bake for 25 minutes until the cakes have risen and are golden and fluffy – the mixture will still be a bit wet at this point. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before lifting them out of the molds.