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Flavours of Latin America
- Servings
1 - Prep
1 m - Cook
1 m
Recipe By: Dylan
Flavours of Latin America
🥘 Adobo/ Sofrito
Sofrito is a flavourful base that is a foundation for so many Latin American dishes. It’s best cooked low, and slow. Known variously across the region as hogao in Columbia, Aderezo in Peru, and refrito in Ecuador, with each region varying its composition of ingredients.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Execution time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
2 medium onion, finely diced (350g)
1 small tomato, finely diced
1 small red capscicum, finely diced (60g)
1 small green capscicum, finely diced (60g) or (1.5 bullhorn chillis)
¼ habanero chilli (or aji dulce), finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper (to taste)
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp pinch pimenton
2 cloves of garlic, minced
METHOD
Heat a pan over low heat, and in the olive oil. Once the olive oil is warm, add in the onion, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Keep the temperature at a fairly low heat. You want to slowly sweat the onions. When the onions soften a little bit, add in the capsicum and cook for another 3-4 minutes until they soften. Finally, add in the minced garlic, tomatoes, spices and salt and cook for another 4-7 minutes or until all of the vegetables are very soft.
🍘 Arepas - Corn Cakes
Arepas are a Venezuelan and Colombian street food item. They can be stuffed with many different kinds of fillings including slow-cooked beef, cheese, avocado, pulled chicken, beans and plantain.
Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Execution time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
200g PAN masa harina
230ml chicken stock
1 egg (45g)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
To serve:
60g queso llanero or queso fresca (crumbled goats or farmer’s cheese)
60g gausacaca sauce (avocado sauce)
60g caraoatas negras (stewed black beans)
METHOD
Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix everything together.
Preheat an oven to 160C.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. To shape the arepas, roll the dough into a ball first. After, using the flat of your palms, gently squish the dough down while passing it back and forth between your hands, almost as if you were clapping. Preheat a pan over medium low heat (800). Place a teaspoon of oil in the pan. Fry the arepas for 4 minutes on each side, flipping every minute or so until they are golden brown on both sides. The arepas should sound hollow when they are finished cooking.
Alternatively, after browning the arepas, you can finish cooking them in the oven for 3-7 minutes or until they sound hollow.
Optional: when the arepa is finished cooking, use a spoon to remove some of the filling.
Top the arepa with some of the carne mechada (braised beef), the guasacaca sauce, black beans, and queso llanero.
Pasteles De Masa (Puerto Rico)
Pasteles are a traditional holiday dish. A masa, or dough, is made by combining various starchy vegetables. The filling can be made with a combination or either pork and chicken. The banana leaf adds a unique flavour to the pasteles, while the achiote adds a colourful red hue, and floral aroma.
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Frf time: 10 minutes
Serves: makes 300ml
INGREDIENTS
For the masa:
½ plantain (150g), peeled and ground in a food processor
200g taro, peel and ground in a food processor
200g purple sweet potato, peeled, and ground in a food processor
40g sofrito (2 tbsp)
2 tsp achiote oil
For the filling:
250g (2) boneless chicken thighs, simmered in 300ml water for 1 hour
¼ tsp oregano
2 sprigs coriander or chopped
80g soffitto
6 olives (15g) olives, pitted, finely chopped
1 tsp capers, chopped
2 tsp achiote oil
1 tsp (4g) capers, finely chopped
1 tsp achiote oil
¼ tsp salt
For the achiote oil:
300ml vegetable oil
40g achiote seeds
To assemble:
1 banana leaf cut into 25x15cm rectangles.
2 tbsp achiote oil
6x 60 cm piece of butchers twine or string
METHOD
To prepare the achiote oil, place the achiote seeds and vegetable oil over a low heat in a small pot for 4-5 minutes or until the seeds begin to sizzle a little bit. Turn off the heat and let the achiote infuse into the oil for 10-15 minutes.
To prepare the filling, place all of the ingredients into a pot and simmer everything together until all of the flavours come together, and the sauce evaporates until it reaches the thickness of cream or melted butter. Season to taste with salt.
To prepare the masa, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
To assemble, dry the banana leaves with some paper towels. Place the banana leaves on the surface of your work station. On each banana leaf, place 1 tsp of the achiote oil on each banana leaf. And spread it in a rectangle in the centre of the banana leaf that’s about 6x8cm. Place 2 tbsp of the masa onto the achiote oil and spread it evenly over the 6x8cm rectangle.
Place 2 tbsp of the filling in the middle of the masa. Gather up the opposing ends of the banana leaf, folding the banana leaf in half lengthwise until the edges meet. Fold over the seams of the banana leaf until they touch the top of the filling, and tuck them underneath. Secure the banana leaf with a little bit of butchers twine or string.
🍘 Caraotes Negras - Stewed black beans
Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Execution time: 20 minutes
Serves: 12
INGREDIENTS
To soak
400g black turtle beans
1L cold water
1 tsp baking soda
To cook:
1.2L water
2 tsp salt
½ brown onion
½ capscicum
¼ habanero
METHOD
Rinse the black beans well in water to remove any debris. Place the beans in 1L of cold water, along with 1 tsp of baking soda and soak overnight.
Drain the beans and place them in a pot with 1.2L of cold water and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer the beans for 1-2 hours or until they are just tender. Season with additional salt if necessary.
🥘 Carne Mechada - Venezuelan Beef Stew
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Execution time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
250g beef brisket, simmered in 300ml water for 2 hours until tender
80g sofrito
15g tomato paste
¼ tsp salt
METHOD:
Preheat a small saucepan over low heat. Add in all of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with a little salt.
🐟 Ceviche Peruano con Leche de Tigre- Peruvian Ceviche
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Execution time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6- For the Leche De Tigre:
100g fish trimmings
120g lime juice
100g fish stock
40g ice
15g red onion
10g ginger
8g coriander
½ Thai bird’s eye chilli or ⅓ habanero
1 tsp salt
1 pinch msg (optional)
Serves 2 - Ceviche:
180g king fish, cleaned and diced into 3cm cubes
10g red onion, sliced thinly
¼ habanero chilli, de-seeded, diced very small
⅓ lime, juiced
4 tbsp leche de tigre
¼ tsp salt
½ clove of garlic, minced
3 sprigs coriander, minced
To serve
½ purple sweet potato (baked 40 minutes 180C)
½ corn (choko) boiled for 5 minutes
4 leaves cos lettuce
METHOD
To prepare the leche de tigre, place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until the mixture is quite smooth. Place a fine mesh strainer above a bowl, and press the liquid through, using a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
To prepare the ceviche, place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Adjust the taste with a pinch of salt, or more lime juice if necessary. Allow the ceviche to rest for 5-10 minutes or until the fish begins to cook a little bit, and turn more opaque.
When you are happy with the taste, and texture, place the ceviche in a wide bowl, garnish it with a sprig of coriander, and serve it with slices of the baked sweet potato, cos lettuce and the boiled corn on the side.
Guasacaca Sauce/Avocado Sauce
Ingredients
¼ brown onion, finely diced (40g)
¼ green capsicum, finely diced(30g)
2 avocados (335g)
30 ml olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
METHOD
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until the sauce is homogenous. Season to taste with additional salt if necessary.
Ingredients
Directions
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Printed From otaokitchen.com.au 11/21/2024