Chilean Food Recipes: North to South

September was Chile’s national celebration month. An important part of the festivities is special food preparations. We decided to share a few of them with you.

Northen Chile / CALAPURCA

La calapurca is a dish inherited from Chile’s northern indeginous culture. This soup is drank during comunal cereonies by the Aymaras y mestizos, especially after the celebrations are finished at the end of a long evening.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo of diced meat, en trozos (may be replaced by rabbit, alpaca, or  lamb)
• 2 kilos meet on the bone
• 1 chicken, in pieces
• 1 chopped onion
• Salt and pepper
• 1 kilo of corn
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 spring onions
• 3 chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons of cilantro leaves
• 1tablespoons of dry oregano
• 1 kilo of peeled potatoes

Preparation

1. In a large pot place the meats, bones, chicken, onion, salt, pepper and bouillon cubes. Cover the ingredients with enough cold water and place the pot on the fire; cook over medium heat until the meat is tender, 1-2 hours. Add the mote and continue the cooking until the meat melts.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and remove the meat and pieces of onion from the broth; strain the broth and return it to the pot. Crumble the meats and return them to the broth together with the onion and the corn mote; Remove the bones. Cook over low heat while preparing the sofrito.
3. For the sofrito, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the onions with the garlic, chopped cilantro and oregano. Add the sofrito to the soup with the meat and cook over high heat to mix well, adding more water if necessary.
4. At the end, add the shredded potatoes with your fingers and continue cooking until the soup is very hot. Pour the calapurca in individual wells and garnish with coriander leaves; serve immediately.

Central Chile / CALDILLO DE CONGRIO

Our 4 thousand kilometers of coastline allow us to enjoy a host of top quality seafood. Encourage yourself with this delicious marine recipe that inspired the poet Pablo Neruda to create one of his best known works, the “Oda al Caldillo de Congrio”.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 onions, in a pen
• 1 teaspoon of ají color
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 branches of parsley
• 1 cup (240 cc) of white wine
• ½ cup (120 cc) of milk
• 2 cups (480 cc) of fish stock
• Salt and pepper
• 4 medallions (5 cm thick) of golden conger or other firm white fish, without skin
• 250 g of shrimp tails, scallops or chipped mussels
• ½ cup (120 cc) of fresh cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fine parsley

Preparation

In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and color chili and cook until soft but not golden. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, wine, milk and fish broth. Season with salt and pepper; Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the fish and shrimp and continue cooking over low heat until the fish becomes opaque, 10-15 minutes. In a small bowl beat the cream with the yolk and gradually pour some of the hot soup to the yolk mixture; pour the mixture into the soup and heat the caldillo without letting it boil. Serve the stew immediately distributing a piece of fish by potion and seafood and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Southern Chile / CHUPE DE CENTOLLA

We moved to the southern tip of Chile to see one of its emblematic dishes. The Magellanic spider crab is a true luxury and it makes the weight of species as highly prized as lobster. Prepare your kitchen for this delicious dish where the protagonist is the king of Chilean crustaceans.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 teaspoon of ají color
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup (240 cc) of fish or seafood broth
• 500 g of crab meat, cooked and shredded
• 2 cups white bread crumbs soaked in milk
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 butter spoons
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup (120 cc) of fresh cream

Preparation

In a saucepan heat the oil over medium heat with the colored pepper and cook the garlic and onion until soft, without browning. Add, stirring, the oregano and fish stock and bring to a boil. Preheat the oven to medium-high temperature (190 ° C). Add to the mixture the crab meat, bread soaked with the milk, 3 tablespoons of grated cheese and butter; cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture thickens. Season and add the cream, stirring. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle the surface with the rest of the grated cheese and bake until browning the surface. Serve hot.

We thank Sabores de Chile for all these wonderful recipes.