Eel Chupin

This unique recipe turned out unexpectedly well.

Eel Chupin

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp pasley, finely chopped

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

salt and pepper to taste

pepper, oregano, and cumin

6 eel pieces

2 tbsp flour

2 egg yolks

6 ounces yogurt

2 lbs mussels

Preparation:

Steam mussels for 5 minutes. Make sure not to over-steam them.

Cooking:

Heat oil in a large pan and sautee onions until translucent. Then add the parsley, tomatoes, and bell pepper, and oregano. Place the eel pieces on top, and sautee for 20 minutes.

Remove the eel and set aside. Sift flour into cold water, stirring well, and then mix in some of the eel broth to bring it up to temperature. Once warm, mix into the vegetable mixture, and simmer slowly until slightly thickened.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Pastel do Choclo

This casserole is wonderful and tasting.

Pastel de Choclo

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb ground beef

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup beef stock

1 tbsp flour

1 lb frozen corn

1/4 cup cornmeal

1-2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp butter

2-3 tbsp sugar

Cooking:

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat oil in saucepan, add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and sautee for 2 minutes. Add ground beef, paparika, cumin oregano, salt and pepper and sautee 6-8 minutes, breaking up the beef as you go.

Pour stock over mixture and sprinkle flour and simmer for another 6-8 minutes.Remove fromh eat and set aside.

Put cornmeal, corn, and cornstarch in a food processor or blender and puree. Add milk only a little at a time, stopping when it reaches a batter-like consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter and add the corn puree and cook, stirring constantly, about 5-8 minutes.

In a casserole dish, spread the beef mixture. Spread corn puree mixture over the beef mixture. Sprinkle sugar over mixture.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Chapter 14 : Chile

Stretching across the Pacific coast of South America, Chile is a narrow country of mountains and coasts. The ingredients aren't too unfamiliar if you've cooked Peruvian cuisine: quinoa, corn, and potatoes are common.

For our first attempt we made Chilean asado. Asado is apropriate across Latin America, Chilean asado is topped with pebre: a mix of cilantro, onions and parsley.

Asado with Pebre

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: variable

Ingredients:

Any mix of the following meats:

Ribs, flank steak, chorizo, or offal

Pebre:

2 cups cilantro

2 cups parsley

1 chopped onion

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp crushed red pepper

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Preparation:

Mix all pebre ingredients, excepy olive oil, in a bowl and refridgerate for one hour, then stir in olive oil right before serving.

Cooking:

Barbeque, or broil, meats until cooked. Then top with pebre and serve.