Chile

Pastel de Choclo

I made this delicious dish on Saturday, September 4. Andy, Mully and I all enjoyed it immensely, each taking seconds and relishing every bite. The flavors reminded me of Bolivia's Salteñas, which is not surprising given many of the similar ingredients. The meat mixture was savory and cumin-y, the olives added a nice metallic-y, salty surprise and the corn and basil topping was refreshingly sweet. I really, really enjoyed this meal and would definitely recommend it.

I used a combinations of this recipe and this one.



Ingredients:
-2 T. oil (I used olive)
-1 onion, finely chopped
-2-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 lb. ground beef
-1 T. paprika
-1 tsp. cumin
-1 tsp. oregano
-1 c. water
-1 T. flour
-2 pieces cooked chicken, cut into cubes or strips
-1/4 c. black olives, sliced
-1/4 c. raisins
-1 lb. frozen corn, thawed
-1/4 c. cornmeal
-1-2 T. cornstarch
-1/4 c. fresh basil
-milk
-1 T. powdered sugar
-salt and pepper
-1 T. butter
-2-3 T. powdered sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium flame. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Add beef, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper; sauté, breaking up the meat, until beef is just cooked through, 6-8 minutes.
2) Pour in water and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle flour over all and stir in well. Simmer for another 5-8 minutes until lightly thickened. Adjust seasoning, remove from hear and set aside.
3) Place the corn, cornmeal, cornstarch, basil and 1 T, powdered sugar in a food processor and process until well-pureed. With the blade running, add milk a little at a time until the corn forms a thick batter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Melt the butter over medium low heat in a large saucepan. Add corn puree and cook, stirring constantly, until well-thickened, 5-8 minutes. Set aside.
4) Spread the beef mixture in a greased casserole dish. Arrange olives and raisins on top. Place chicken pieces over top. Top with the cooked corn puree and spread out evenly over the dish. Sprinkle the sugar over the corn topping.

Prior to baking; you can see the layering

Right before going in the oven

6) Set the dish in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown on top.