Today we're heading on a gastronomic journey through Chile — a country where the Andes meet the Pacific Ocean, and the cuisine combines Spanish traditions with the gifts of land and sea. We're making two iconic dishes that Chileans have been preparing for centuries.
🌽 Pastel de Choclo
A traditional Chilean casserole with a sweet corn crust and hearty meat filling. The top layer of fresh corn caramelizes in the oven to a golden crust, while underneath lies an aromatic filling with beef, chicken, olives, and raisins.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
• Beef (boneless) — 400 g
• Chicken breast — 300 g
• Onions — 2 large
• Garlic — 4 cloves
• Raisins — 100 g
• Pitted black olives — 150 g
• Turmeric — 1 tsp
• Ground cumin — 1 tsp
• Sweet paprika — 1 tsp
• Beef broth — 200 ml
• Hard-boiled eggs — 4
• Olive oil — 3 tbsp
• Salt, black pepper — to taste
For the corn mixture:
• Fresh or frozen corn (kernels) — 800 g
• Milk — 150 ml
• Butter — 50 g
• Fresh basil — 10 leaves
• Sugar — 2 tbsp
• Salt — pinch
Preparation:
1. Preparing the meat
Cut the beef and chicken breast into 1.5×1.5 cm cubes. It's important that the pieces are uniform for even cooking. In a deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until a light haze appears. Add the beef and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until all sides have a golden-brown crust. Transfer to a separate bowl. In the same skillet, sauté the chicken for 4-5 minutes until white without a brown crust, transfer to the beef.
2. Making the sofrito
Dice the onion into 3×3 mm cubes, mince the garlic with a knife into a paste. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. The onion should become completely translucent and soft, but not brown. Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, and paprika, stir and fry for another minute — the spices should release their aroma but not burn.
3. Braising the filling
Return all the meat to the skillet, add the raisins, olives (cut each in half lengthwise), pour in the broth. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to minimum. Cover and braise for 25-30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes and stirring. The filling is ready when the liquid has almost completely evaporated, the meat falls apart easily with a fork, and the sauce has become thick and coating. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Making the corn mixture
In a blender, puree the corn with milk and basil leaves until smooth and creamy with a slight graininess (2-3 minutes on high speed). Transfer to a saucepan, add the butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula, for 8-10 minutes. The mixture should thicken to the consistency of very thick porridge — the spatula leaves a clear trace that doesn't immediately fill in.
5. Assembly and baking
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the eggs and slice into 5 mm rounds. Take a baking dish (approximately 25×30 cm or individual ceramic dishes). Spread the meat filling in an even layer, distribute the egg slices on top. Carefully spread the corn mixture in a solid layer 2-3 cm thick, smoothing with a silicone spatula. The surface should be as even as possible. Drizzle the top with 1 tsp melted butter. Bake for 35-40 minutes on the middle rack.
6. Final caramelization
The dish is ready when the corn crust has acquired a rich golden color and dark brown caramelization has appeared around the edges. If you want a more pronounced crust, turn on the broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching so the surface doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes — during this time the layers will stabilize and the dish will be easier to cut.
7. Serving
Serve pastel de choclo directly in the dish, cutting into portions in squares or diamonds. Traditionally the dish is served with Chilean tomato salad (tomatoes, onion, cilantro with lemon juice) to balance the sweetness and richness. The dish is served hot, but many Chileans love it warm as well.
💡 Fact: Pastel de choclo is a traditional Chilean summer dish, prepared from December to March when fresh corn ripens. The name comes from the Spanish 'pastel' (pie) and Quechua 'choclo' (corn). In colonial times it was a dish for special occasions, as it combined expensive meat with accessible local corn.
🥘 Curanto
A spectacular multilayered dish from southern Chile, where seafood, meat, sausages, and vegetables steam together under a lid, creating an incredibly aromatic and succulent feast. Originally cooked in an earth pit on heated stones, but the adapted pot version is just as delicious.
Ingredients:
• Mussels in shells — 500 g
• Large shrimp — 400 g
• White fish fillets (cod, hake) — 400 g
• Pork belly — 300 g
• Smoked sausages (chorizo or krakowska) — 4 (about 300 g)
• Medium potatoes — 8
• White cabbage — 1 small head
• Onions — 2 large
• Garlic — 6 cloves
• Dry white wine — 300 ml
• Fish or vegetable broth — 400 ml
• Fresh thyme — 6 sprigs
• Bay leaves — 3
• Butter — 50 g
• Salt, black pepper — to taste
• Lemon — 2 (for serving)
• Fresh parsley — large bunch
Preparation:
1. Preparing the ingredients
Thoroughly rinse the mussels under cold running water, remove the "beards" (fibrous threads), discard shells that don't close when tapped — they're dead. Leave the shrimp in their shells, but remove the intestinal vein by making a cut along the back. Cut the fish into large 5×7 cm pieces, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Cut the pork belly into 2 cm thick slices. Separate the cabbage into individual leaves, removing thick ribs. Slice the onions into 5 mm half-rings, coarsely chop the garlic.
2. Browning the meat
In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 6 liters capacity), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pork belly pieces and sauté for 6-7 minutes, turning with tongs every 2 minutes. The meat should develop a golden-brown crust on all sides, and some of the fat should render out. Add the whole sausages and sauté with the belly for another 4-5 minutes, constantly turning the sausages — their skin should become shiny and slightly cracked.
3. Creating the aromatic base
Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stir with the meat and fat. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring every minute, until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Pour in the white wine, increase heat to high and let boil for 3-4 minutes, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spatula — this is the flavor foundation. The wine should reduce by half, leaving an intense aroma.
4. Layering
Pour in the broth, add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. On the bottom of the pot, right into the liquid, lay half the cabbage leaves, creating a cushion. Top with the potatoes cut-side down in a tight layer. Then add a layer of pork belly and sausages. Cover with the remaining cabbage leaves. On top of the cabbage place the fish pieces, then the shrimp, and at the very top — the mussels. Season each layer with salt and pepper as you build.
5. Steaming
Cover the pot tightly with a lid (if the lid doesn't fit tightly, wrap the edges with foil for a seal). Bring to a boil over high heat (3-4 minutes), then reduce to minimum. Steam for exactly 35 minutes without opening the lid — the steam should circulate inside, creating a steam bath effect. Important: don't give in to the temptation to check earlier.
6. Checking for doneness
After 35 minutes, carefully open the lid — you'll be met with a powerful wave of aromatic steam. Test the potatoes with a knife in the thickest part — the knife should go in absolutely freely, like into butter. The mussels should be fully opened (discard closed ones — they're not edible), the fish should flake easily when pressed with a fork, and the shrimp should be bright pink and opaque. If the potatoes are still firm, cover and steam for another 5-7 minutes.
7. Serving
Serve curanto straight from the pot, ladling into deep bowls with plenty of broth. Generously sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Traditionally the dish is accompanied by "pebre" — Chilean salsa made from tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and hot pepper, as well as fresh white bread for dunking in the rich broth. Curanto is eaten with hands and utensils, savoring each layer.
💡 Fact: Curanto is an ancient dish of the Mapuche people from Chiloé Island. Traditional 'curanto en hoyo' is cooked in an earth pit: ingredients are layered on heated stones, covered with nalca leaves (giant rhubarb) and turf, creating a natural oven. The process takes several hours and becomes a communal event where the whole village gathers. Such curanto is still prepared for holidays and festivals.