Pastel de Choclo is a traditional Chilean recipe for a classic cottage pie like dish with a maize rather than potato topping. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Chilean version of: Pastel de Choclo.
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This is the Chilean version of Cottage Pie, but made with maize rather than potatoes. This dish is named after the choclo cultivar of maize from Chile which is slightly sweet in flavour, but you can make it with ordinary sweetcorn.
Ingredients:
2 medium eggs
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced thinly
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of chilli flakes
500g lean beef mince
120ml beef stock (made using ⅓ stock pot or cube)
1 tbsp plain flour
For the corn topping
30g butter
750g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
100ml milk
handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1½ tbsp fine cornmeal
½ tbsp caster sugar
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6). Add the eggs to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 7 minutes. Drain, then refill the pan with cold water to cool the eggs.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 6-8 minutes, or until softened. Add the spices and continue to fry for a couple of minutes, before adding the beef. Break up the mince with a spatula and fry for 4-5 minutes, until coloured all over, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until only a little of the liquid remains.
Take the pan from the heat and stir through the flour. Season to taste and set aside whilst you prepare the corn topping.
Heat the butter in a large pan and use to cook the corn for 6-8 minutes. Add the milk and basil and continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has been cooked off. Remove from the heat and season well. Blitz the corn with a stick blender so it has a rough mash-like consistency. Don’t purée to a completely smooth consistency as you want the mash to retain some texture.
Sprinkle in the cornmeal and then continue to cook over a low heat for another 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.
Spoon the mince into the base of a baking dish. Peel then quarter the eggs and nestle them into the beef mince. Top with the corn mash and spread out evenly. Sprinkle over the sugar, then transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crisp and browned on top.
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