Pastel de Choclo

Pastel de Choclo

Chile's beloved summer casserole: a savoury filling of minced beef, shredded chicken, sliced egg and briny olives, capped with a sweet corn purée and baked until deeply golden.

Prep

35 min

Cook

55 min

Total

90 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh sweetcorn kernels, about 6 large ears; thawed frozen kernels are an acceptable substitute
• •250 ml (1 cup) whole milk, or substitute with a mild stock for a more traditional, less sweet topping
• •60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• •1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• •2 cloves garlic, minced
• •1 tsp dried oregano
• •1 tsp ground cumin
• •1 tsp sweet paprika
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) fine salt, plus more to taste
• •0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •400 g (14 oz) minced beef, roughly 20% fat for flavour
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil
• •250 g (½ lb) boneless, skinless chicken breast
• •2 large eggs, hard-boiled and sliced; one for the filling, one to garnish the top
• •80 g (⅓ cup) pitted black olives, Chilean 'aceitunas de Azapa' are traditional; brine-cured Spanish olives are a fine stand-in
• •20 g (2 tbsp) raisins, optional but traditional; plumped in warm water for 10 minutes
• •2 tbsp fine sugar, traditional for caramelisation on the crust

Steps

1. 1 Place the chicken breasts in a small saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the internal temperature reads 74°C (165°F) on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a plate and shred once cool enough to handle.
2. 2 While the chicken cooks, heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced beef in a single layer and sear without stirring for 3 minutes to develop browning, then break it up and continue cooking until no pink remains, about 5 minutes more. Drain off excess fat.
3. 3 Add 1 tbsp oil to the same skillet, lower the heat to medium, and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, oregano, cumin and paprika and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. 4 Return the beef to the skillet with the onion mixture. Stir in the raisins, season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside. (The filling should taste slightly punchy; the mild corn topping balances it.)
5. 5 Boil the eggs: lower them into already-boiling water and cook for 10 minutes for a fully set yolk. Cool in cold water, peel and slice.
6. 6 For the corn topping, blend the sweetcorn kernels with the milk until you have a coarse purée — a few small flecks of kernel should remain for texture. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, pour in the corn purée, add 1 tbsp of the sugar and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until thickened enough to hold a spoon.
7. 7 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly butter a 22 x 30 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish (traditionally an earthenware 'paila').
8. 8 Spread the beef filling in an even layer. Scatter the shredded chicken and the sliced hard-boiled egg over the top, then dot with the olives.
9. 9 Spoon the warm corn purée over the filling and smooth it to the edges so the meat is completely sealed. Arrange extra slices of egg on top in a pattern and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp of sugar; this is what caramelises into the signature golden crust.
10. 10 Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is deeply golden in spots and a knife inserted into the centre reads 74°C (165°F). For extra caramelisation, run under a hot grill/broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it chars rather than burns.
11. 11 Let the pastel rest for 10 minutes before serving — the layers need a moment to settle, or it will collapse on the spoon. Serve warm, ideally in the baking dish at the table.