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Posted by Liz Gaugert on September 9th, 2019
The curanto is a traditional form of food preparation in the island of Chiloe, a true Chilote classic. Its name derives from the hot rocks used in its preparation, in which a variety of meats, shellfish, and potatoes are cooked over heated stones in an earthen pit. First the rocks are laid down, then the shellfish, meats, potatoes, milcao, and chapalele, followed by the giant nalca leaves (giant Chilean wild rhubarb) used to hold in the steam. The whole pit is covered with chunks of earth and left to cook for a couple hours, steamed by the juices released by the shellfish and meats.
When the meal is ready, the nalca leaves are removed to reveal heaping mounds of basically every meat you could ever imagine eating. As the curanto produces an obscene quantity of food, this meal is generally cooked in the countryside, and is always meant to be shared by a healthy number of friends and family members. The meal is traditionally enjoyed eating straight from the hoyo (pit), accompanied by un buen vinito (a glass of white wine), but can also be served on plates at the table.
For those not wanting to dig giant holes in their yards to recreate this recipe, there is also the version cooked in a pot, known as curanto a la olla or pulmay. I learned how to make this with a family in the south of Chile, and while this recipe might not be the most traditional preparation, it’s undoubtedly authentic and, most importantly, delicious:
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Ingredients
Onion, diced Cumin Coriander seed, ground (optional) Merkén (Chilean smoked chili powder) Salt Pork Chicken Beef Mussels Clams White Wine, for cooking Chapalele (recipe below) Milcao (recipe below) Cilantro, torn Lemon Wedges to serve
Directions
Chapalele Recipe Combine mashed potatoes with flour to form a thick dough. Divide into balls and flatten into palm-sized discs about 1 cm thick.
Milcao Recipe Combine equal parts mashed potato with shredded raw potato, first squeezed to remove excess liquid. Salt to taste. Form balls and add a piece of chicharron (fried pork fat) to the middle before flatting into a pancake similar in size to the chapalele.
Chef’s Notes
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