Aperitivos y Bebidas

Cola De Mono - Chilean Eggnog

Serves 10

1 Gallon milk
1 Cup sugar
1 Vanilla bean
1 Cup whole coffee beans
6 Large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups pisco, aguardiente

Bring the milk to a boil with the sugar, vanilla and coffee. Let it simmer slowly, stirring occasionally until the milk turns a light brown. Remove it form the heat, strain, and return to low heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of hot milk to the egg yolks to dilute and warm them. Stir the yolks back into the hot milk and cook the mixture for a few minutes. Let it cool completely. Add the pisco to taste and serve cold. White rum can be substituted for pisco. For a short-cut use the 1/2 cup instant coffee instead of coffee beans.

Sánguches

Churrasco - Steak Sandwich

Serves 2

½ pound beefsteak meat
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 small fresh aji or jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
4 large slices of Pullman or firm sandwich loaf bread
1 tablespoon olive oil salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Slice the meat very thin (1/8 thick). Mix the vinegar, garlic, cumin, and pepper and marinate the meat in the mixture for at least 1 hour. Remove the crusts from the bread slices. Spread the oil on a very hot griddle, and toast the bread on both sides. Then saute the meat on the hot griddle for just a min. or two, adding the remaining marinating juices at the end. Do not overcook the meat; it will be done quickly because its sliced so thin. Assemble the sandwich, picking up all the juices from the griddle. Cut the sandwich into six bite-sized morsels and serve immediately.

Postres y Onces - Desserts & Teatime Treats

Mote con Huesillos - Hominy with dried peaches

Serves 6

8 Ounces dried peaches
1 Cup sugar
2 Cups white hominy, precooked

Boil the peaches in 4 cups of water with the sugar for 30 minutes; let them cool to room temperature. Add the mote, stir, and refrigerate. Serve cold in glasses, as a dessert or a refreshing snack in the summer.

Espuma De Frambuesas - Raspberry foam

Serves 8

1 Cup salsa de frambuesas (raspberry sauces)
1 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon corn syrup
1 Package unflavored gelatin (¼ ounce)
4 Large egg whites
1 Pinch cream of tartar
1 Cup fresh raspberries

Prepare the salsa de frambuesas. Dissolve the sugar and corn syrup in 5 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sugar mixture becomes a syrup and forms a hair when poured from a spoon. Dissolve the gelatin according to the package instructions. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar into stiff peaks. When whipping the egg whites, it is recommended that you use a copper bowl to increase the volume and stability of the meringue. Slowly add hot syrup to the whites and continue to whip until cold. Fold in the gelatin and fruit sauce. Pour into a mold or individual glasses and store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours until set. To unmold, warm the outside of the mold for a few seconds in hot water.

Salsa de Frambuesas - Raspberry sauce

2 Cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup grand marnier

Put the raspberries through a strainer to remove the seeds; make sure you recover all the pulp and juices. Blend the raspberry puree with the sugar and Grand Marnier. Adjust the sugar to taste, this depends on the ripeness of the fruits. Store in the freezer.

Arroz con Leche - Rice pudding

Serves 10

1 Cup converted rice
5 Cups milk
½ Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon lemon rind
1 Cup raisins
½ Cup whipping cream
1 Cup honey or syrup

Simmer the rice with the milk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon rind for about 40 min. Add the raisins and let the rice cool to room temperature. Whip the cream to double in volume and fold it into the cooled rice.

Panes

Pan Amasado

Serves 8

3 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 Teaspoon salt

½ Cup shortening, softened

2 Packages yeast

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In the electric mixer bowl with a dough hook, mix the flour and salt for 15 seconds and scrape the walls of the bowl.

3. Add the softened shortening and knead slowly for on minute.

4. Dissolve the yeast in ¾ cup of warm water (110 F) and add it to the bowl.

5. Knead for another two minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Adjust the water of flour as neccessary.

6. Allow the dought to rest and rise in a oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap, for 1 to 3 hours in a warm place (about 85 F) until it doubles in volume.

7. Punch down and knead the dough until soft and smooth.

8. Form small rolls about 3 inches in diameter and ½ inch tall, with a very smooth top surface. Place on a non-stick baking sheet, prick the tops with a fork, and allow to rest for 30 min.

9. Bake the rolls for about 20 min. or until lightly browned.

Carnes

Asado Jugoso - Marinated juicy roast beef

Serves 12

1 whole eye of round
1 cup adobo pra asado (roast marinade)

Remove the silver skin and fat from the roast. Spread the marinade over the roast and place it in a large plastic bag: close the bag and stir the marinade around. Marinate the beef for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the meat in a roasting pan and roast for 7 minutes. Lower the heat to 325 degrees and continue roasting for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the roast. Remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. In the meantime, simmer the remaining marinade to reduce by half and serve it over the roast slices.

Adobo Para Asado- Roast marinade

3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoon Mostaza (mustard sauce check sauces)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon Pasta de Albahaca (basil past check sauces)
1 tablespoon Pasta de Aji (Aji paste check sauces)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Vinagre Aromatico (flavored vinegar check sauces)
1/2 cup port, sherry, or cabernet savignon

Mix the ingredients thoroughly and cover the meat with it. For the best results, put the meant in a large plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and close the bag leaving in as little air as possible. Marinate the meat for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, turning the bag over occasionally.

Bistec a la Pobre - Chilean style beefsteak

Serves 2

5 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and julienned
salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground to taste
2 sarge potatoes
½ cup frying vegetable oil
2 10 ounce New York strip steaks, about 1 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 whole eggs
1 pinch Fresh, flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. In a frying pan heat 3 tablespoons of oil and slowly saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until they caramelize; this can take a good 30 min.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste. remove the onions to a dish and keep them warm.
3. Peel the potatoes and keep them submerged in a bowl of water to avoid oxidation.
4. Just before frying, slice the potatoes french fry style, dry them carefully, and fry them in at least 1 inch of frying oil until golden; do not crowd them.
5. Remove the potatoes and drain over paper towels; add salt to taste and keep them warm.
6. Rub the steaks with minced garlic and fry them in a very hot oiled pan or griddle. Brown on side first until juice droplets start to appear on top, then turn the meat and fry it for just 1 more minute.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste and keep the steaks warm.
8. Fry the eggs, sunny side up, in the same pan or griddle as the steaks and add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Arrange the food on the serving plate like this: the steak in the middle with the eggs on top, the fried potatoes on the side and the onions on the other.
10. Garnish the parsley.

Empanadas Chilenas

Empanadas Chilenas - Chilean Meat Turnovers

Serves 10

2 cups Pino (beef and onion filling - recipe below)
5 cups bread flour, approx.
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup water, approx.
3 large hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut in wedges
1 small egg white

*Prepare Pino filling a day in advance.*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heap the flour on a pastry table. Make a depression in the center and add the shortening, egg yolks and vinegar. Mix well using your fingers. Dissolve the salt in the water. Sprinkle some of the water over the flour mixture and rub the dough between your hands until it is smooth and fairly stiff. Gather the dough in a ball and knead it until it is no longer sticky, adding the water and flour as needed (these last three steps can be done in an electric mixer). Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Then roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick or thinner. The dough will be stiff, elastic and difficult to roll at first. Cut circles about 9 inches in diameter. Place about 2 tablespoons if Pino in the center of each pastry circle, making sure there is at least one olive and egg wedge in each empanada. Dip your fingers in the filling juices and run them around the pastry's edge. Fold the dough to make a semicircular turnover. Press around the filling removing the trapped air and sealing the turnover. Use a fork to make a decorative edge. Paint the top with egg white. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Pino - Beef and Onion Filling

Serves 10

Pino is the juicy and spicy meat filling used in several of the classic Chilean criolla recipes such as Empanadas, Pastel de Choclo, Pastel de Papas and Pastel Rellenas. Pino is what makes Empanadas Chilenas so different from the empanadas made in Spain and other Latin American countries.

3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Ají de Color or Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crushed
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Pasta de Ají (see recipe in the Aliños post)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon flour
2/3 cup Caldo (see recipe in Sopas post)
1/2 cup golden raisins
24 pitted black olives
salt to taste

In large frying pan, melt half the butter with the oil and saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the paprika, cumin,oregano, black pepper and Pasta de Ají; set aside. In another pan, saute the beef in the remaining butter and oil; do not brown or overcook. Combine the onion and beef mixture in the larger pan. Dissolve the flour in the Caldo and add it to the mixture. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring until thickened; the end result should be juicy. Add the raisins, olives and salt to taste. Cover and store overnight in the refrigerator.

Aliños, Salsas Adobos Y Betunes

Aliño para Ensalada - Lemon herb dressing

1 Tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Pinch fresh, flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped, salt to taste

In a bowl, use a whisk to mix all the ingredients and beat well to form an emulsion.

Mayonesa - Homemade Mayonnaise

2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup olive oil
1 medium lemon
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small deep glass or ceramic bowl, mix the 2 yolks with one beater of an electric hand mixer at slow speed. Very slowly, add the oil and continue to mix at a slow speed. After all the oil is added, the mixture should be thick and a light yellow color. Add the lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Store in the refrigerator in a glass or ceramic container.

Pasta de Ají - Aji Paste

12 whole ají peppers
1 cup of olive oil

Open up the peppers and remove the seeds very carefully (they are very hot so use gloves). You can also remove the whitish vein where the seeds attach to the shell. Chop the peppers coarsely. Transfer to the food processor, add the oil and chop to form the paste. A smooth consistency is not necessary. Store in glass jars in the freezer.

Salsa Blanca - White Sauce

This sauce is used like a roux to thicken other sauces. Chilean cooks use it in many dishes, especially those including chicken or fish.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
ground white pepper to taste
1 pinch of nutmeg to taste
salt to taste
1 pinch fresh parsley, chopped

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and stir; cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Slowly add the milk, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, add the pepper, nutmeg, salt and parsley. You can store the sauce in the refrigerator for a few days until ready to use.