Gastronomic Tourism: Six typical Chilean Recipes to tour Chile from your kitchen

We invite you to tour the flavors of our country. Our nation extends along 4,000 kilometers (2,486 miles) of territory between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert, the most arid in the world, and the green Patagonia, the southernmost point on Earth, are two of the most visited destinations. Every corner of our country has colorful landscapes that give flavor to our gastronomy.

Would you like to taste our culture? Here we give you six typical Chilean recipes for you to tour Chile from your kitchen, and then you can do it in person, so you can fully experience our country and enjoy the delicious food that belongs to the south of the world.

Machas a la Parmesana: A step away from the Pacific Ocean

From the Atacama Desert we head towards the Pacific to taste a delicious seafood platter called “Machas a la Parmesana”, a typical dish that belongs to the north of Chile.

Machas are a mollusk, also known as “pink razor clams”, a marine water bivalve mollusk that generally live in waters with big waves. This recipe is most commonly cooked in the oven, with Parmesan cheese and other ingredients such as butter, lemon juice, and white wine.

We invite you to enjoy this sample of our Chilean gastronomy for seafood lovers! Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, Bahía Inglesa and La Serena are only a few coastal cities where you can find the original Machas a la Parmesana.

You will need:

.-For two people, you need 16 to 20 clams (each placed on one of its shells). The amount of clams will depend on how many people are eating.

.-1 small piece of butter goes on each clam

.-1 teaspoon of white wine on each clam

.-Grated Parmesan cheese

.-Salt and pepper

.-Lemon

Preparation steps:

Step 1: Open the clamshells. Cut out the clams and wash them off well to take away all the sand. Also wash the shells, which will be used.

Step 2: Lay the clams in one of the shells and add on top of each of them a piece of butter, then pour a teaspoon of white wine and a teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese, and then season with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Pre-heat the oven and then put in the tray of Machas a la Parmesana and leave them 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.

Step 4: Once they’re done, take them out of the oven and squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on each of the machas.

Take them to the table and enjoy them with a good Chilean white wine!

Empanadas: The best recipe of Chile’s countryside  

Empanadas de Pino are considered an emblematic product of the Chilean countryside and they are a Must-Have at any of Chile’s traditional festivities. For many, this list of six typical Chilean recipes would not be complete without this one, which will surely make you travel from your kitchen to our land.

Tasty dough filled with minced beef seasoned with fried chopped onions, red chili powder (paprika), hard-boiled egg and olives.

We invite you to travel across central Chile through its flavors, through its wine valleys and get to know more about the Wine Routes, and other traditional products.

Preparation steps:

To make the dough you will need: 6 cups of flour, 2 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of better or lard. Some recipes also use 40 ml (about 3 tablespoons) of white wine.

.-1 kilo (2.2 lbs.) of minced meat

.-2 tablespoons of butter and 2 of olive oil

.-3 onions, chopped into small cubes

.-1 tablespoon of cumin powder

.-1 tablespoon of paprika

.-Oregano, salt and pepper

.-1 hard boiled egg and 1 yolk

Step 1: Prepare the dough with all the ingredients, kneading it until it’s soft. Spread out your dough onto a floury surface and knead it for 5 minutes until it gets elastic and extends smoothly.

Step 2: Prepare the filling. Heat up oil on a pan and cook the onions until they are transparent. Then add the minced beef and the different spices. Stir until the meat is cooked. Once it is ready, turn off the fire and let it cool down.

Step 3: Assemble the empanadas. Cut the dough into circles of 15 cm in diameter and fill them with the cooked meat, onion and seasonings. Then add half a hard-boiled egg and an olive. Moisten the edges of the dough with water and close the dough. It is advisable to pinch the edges with your fingers to prevent them from opening. To give the empanadas a bit of color, brush some beaten egg on top before putting them in the oven.

Step 4: Bake. Put them in the preheated oven (at 180ºC or 356ºF). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the dough is golden brown.

The Chilean Empanada is now ready to taste!

Humitas: A typical Chilean recipe

Humitas are an icon of Chilean cuisine! A Must-have among the recipes of typical Chilean meals to travel around Chile.  Humitas are found all throughout the country and are one of the most popular due to their delicious flavor, made from a corn paste, wrapped in corn husks, and that provide a culinary embellishment to any table.

Ingredients:

.-5 whole corns (or 6 depending on the amount or size of the corn)

.-2 onions

.-Milk

.-Basil

.-Paprika

.-Oil

.-Salt and spices (oregano, cumin are the most common)

Preparation steps:

Step 1: First we have to peel the corn carefully in order to use the leaves later on. They have to be big. Put them in hot water to make them soft.

Step 2: Wash the corncobs, cut off the corn kernels, and put them in the blender with basil. Then peel the onions and chop them into fine cubes, and start to sauté them on a pan with hot oil and paprika until the onions are transparent, then add the mashed corn mix to the pan.

Step 3: Mix all the ingredients and add spices, such as salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin are commonly used.  Cook the mashed corn in a pot over a low heat, stirring constantly until it boils for a few minutes and loses its raw flavor. As it cooks and thickens, add small amounts of milk. As a result it should be creamy, but in case you see that it is too thick add more milk if necessary.

Step 4: Prepare the corn leaves. Put 2 leaves side by side, so they are overlapping about an inch. Place about a cup of the corn paste on top of the leaves and then wrap them in a manner that they close completely, making the humita bundle. Use a string to tie them in a crisscross manner around the humita, tighten them until they look like a bow tie, which, in fact, is the translation of the Chilean word humita.

Step 5: Place the humitas in a pot of boiling water and leave them there to cook for about 35-40 minutes.

Place them on a plate, unwrap them and eat! There are 2 typical ways of eating an humita. One is with a side of Chilean salad, which is tomatoes and onions cut into thin wedges and seasoned with oil and salt. The other manner is by sprinkling sugar on top of the humita. Try both!

Ode to the Conger Chowder  

“In the stormy Chilean sea lives the rosy conger, a giant eel of snowy flesh. And in Chilean pots, along the coast, the graceful, hearty and succulent chowder was born”. This is how Pablo Neruda’s poem called “Ode to the Conger chowder” begins. He loved this meal so much that he made the recipe into a poem.

A typical Chilean dish made from the golden or the red conger eel, a fish that abounds in the Pacific Ocean. Preferably, it is served in ceramic or clay bowls to keep it nice and hot.

Its preparation can vary according to the location where it is made and the ingredients that are at hand. However, Neruda wrote his Ode to the Conger inspired by the preparations of restaurants in El Quisco and Isla Negra, two beach towns in central Chile. Through this recipe we hope visitors can explore the beautiful beaches with their stomachs and their imaginations.

Learn how to make Neruda´s favorite dish with this recipe.

Ingredients:

.-1 whole Conger fish (golden or red)

.-500 grams of peeled shrimp or prawns

.-12 cherry tomatoes

.-2 red bell peppers

.-2 green bell peppers

.-1 bunch of coriander

.-6 potatoes

.-2 liters of water

.-1 onion

.-1 carrot

.-1 celery stick

.-2 garlic cloves

.-500 cc white wine (2 large cups)

.-Peas

.-2 bay leaves

.-Parsley

.-Cumin

.-Black pepper

.-Salt

.-10 garlic cloves

.-Olive oil

Now that we have the ingredients we can start preparing the Conger Chowder.

Preparation steps:

Step 1: Cut off the head of the conger, remove the gills and cut the fish into medium medallions of about 3 to 4 centimeters wide (about 1 inch). Reserve.

Step 2: To make the broth, put the conger head in a large pot of water, (without gills or eyes), add the chopped carrot and onion, some paprika and some celery stalks. Boil and add some white wine. Keep cooking in an uncovered pot for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Sauté the thinly sliced onion, the strips of bell pepper and a mixture of ground garlic and olive oil. Add the tomato, cut into small cubes and season with cumin, oregano and coriander.

Step 4: Place a large pot in the oven with some oil at medium heat for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Add to this pot the sautéed onion, peppers and garlic, the potatoes with its skin, the sliced carrots and some peas. Add the broth and keep it in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Step 6: Now add the fish medallions and continue cooking. You’ll know it’s ready when the fish starts to come apart a little bit. Remove the fat and foam that the broth releases. To complete Neruda’s recipe, add the peeled shrimp.

Step 7: In a separate bowl, beat the egg and cream. Reserve for when you mount the dish.

Step 8: At the bottom of the bowl distribute potatoes and the conger medallion, then add the broth with some veggies and a dash of the egg and cream mixture, and decorate it with some fresh chopped coriander on top.

Cazuela, the essential classic of Chilean gastronomy

Cazuelas are probably the most classic of Chilean dishes. It is a versatile dish with delicious variations, but it always has a meat broth, potatoes and squash as its base.

It is said that its origin can be traced back to Europe. Even in Chile it is impossible to talk about one single recipe for cazuela. In the north of the country we can find cazuelas made with Llama meat instead of beef and quinoa instead of rice. In central Chile, cazuelas are made with beef or chicken or turkey, while in the south they are sometimes made with pork or lamb.

For now, we will share the classic recipe made with beef and ingredients that are easy to find anywhere in the world.

Ingredients:

.-5 kilos (3.3) of pot roast (with the bone)

.-4 medium potatoes

.-4 pieces of squash (Blue hubbard squash)

.-1 cup of thinly sliced green beans

.-1/2 red bell pepper cut into thin slices

.-1 carrot roundelles

.-1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and whole

.-1/2 onion cut julienne

.-4 pieces of corn (2 corns cut in half)

.-1/2 cup of rice

.-Oregano

.-Salt and pepper

.-1 celery stalk

Let’s get to work!

Preparation:

Step 1: Place the pieces of meat into a pot of cold water (1.5 quarts). Add salt, garlic, onions, bell peppers and celery stalk. Bring to boil and leave 25 minutes on medium to low heat.

Step 2: Add carrots, whole peeled potatoes, and the rice. Cook for 10 more minutes and then add the squash and the corn. Cook 10 minutes. Add the green beans. Cook 5 more minutes.

Step 3: Check that all the vegetables are well cooked.

Step 4: In each bowl, place one piece of meat, one of squash, one of corn, one potato, a bit of veggies and broth with rice. You can top it off with chopped parsley or coriander.

Your Chilean cazuela is ready to eat!

Charquicán, a hundred-year-old dish

Charquicán is a dish that is typical in several South American countries, but each version has its distinctive taste. The word “charquican” is believed to come from a combinations of Quechua and Mapudungun words, and in these languages it means “dry roasted meat”.

The Chilean version of Charquicán can be prepared with beef, chicken or just vegetables. The best part of it is that it’s easy to make and very nutritious.

Ingredients:

.-1/2 kg. (1 pound) of stew meat, diced or minced beef

.-1 chopped onion

.-2 cups of kernel corn

.-4 diced potatoes

.-2 cloves of garlic, chopped

.-1/4 kg. (0.5 lbs.) of diced blue hubbard squash

.-1 1/2 cups of meat broth

.-1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

.-1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano

.-1/4 teaspoons of cumin

.-1 teaspoons of paprika

.-Oil

Preparation:

Step 1: In a large pot with oil, brown the meat for 3 minutes. Later, add onions and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 2: Add diced potatoes and squash, the garlic, the spices and the meat broth. Bring it to boil and keep cooking on medium heat for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Step 3: Add the kernel corn, cook for 5 minutes.

Extra: If you want to add more flavor, you can opt to serve the charquican with a fried egg on top.

And so, here you have our selection of six recipes of typical dishes to travel around Chile, each one with a unique and special history. Serve them with a glass of red wine, or in the case of seafood dishes serve with white wine. This way you can continue to get to know Chile through its flavors and culinary traditions.