I'm allergic to corn. I have alternatives to corn starch (tapioca or potato starch), but have yet to find a good alternative for cornmeal - ideas?

Trish
  • Posted by: Trish
  • March 7, 2017
  • 1464 views
  • 9 Comments

9 Comments

Maedl March 7, 2017
Semolina is good, but you could also use cracker crumbs or bread crumbs
 
amysarah March 7, 2017
I third semolina - have used it many times for crunch in a coating or to dust bread dough instead of cornmeal. Works great.
 
sdebrango March 7, 2017
I agree with Julie, semolina would be a good sub for cornmeal as a coating.
 
Smaug March 7, 2017
For that sort of use, I really like mandioca flour- it's widely used in Brazil as a condiment. However, my old source is no longer viable and I can't suggest a current one, haven't searched in a few years.
 
Julie March 7, 2017
Semolina flour could be a good option for chicken/fish coatings - it's a coarse grind and has a nice flavor.
 
Nancy March 7, 2017
Substitution will depend on what you want to use the cornmeal for.
As a kind of dusting when baking pizza or bread, various coarse ground wheat products (flour, wheatberries, etc) might do.
On a plate where cooked grits might go, barley grits or buckwheat grits (tasty but different), maybe cream of wheat (for those who like their grits soft and buttery).
For cornbread and polenta, can't think of anything that would be similar enough in taste or texture, sorry.
 
Trish March 7, 2017
Thanks! I'm looking at coatings - like fried chicken or fish recipes, where cornmeal is used to enhance the crunch. Will try out the coarse-ground wheat as an alternative to see how that works. Plain flour coatings have been less than satisfactory.
 
Nancy March 7, 2017
Trish -
Maybe think outside the grain/grass family.
I used to make a baked fish in a two-nut crust that was moist, crunchy & tasty. Lost the recipe but a quick search shows many with walnut, pecan, etc...choose one that you like and experiment.
For chicken coatings, there are recipes for peanut crusts and cereal crusts (usually corn flakes, but could be adapted to cereals made from other grains).
 
MMH March 7, 2017
I don't have the recipe but I've had chicken coated wth potato chips.
 
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