Pastel de Choclo (Chilean Beef and Corn Casserole)
Recipe video above. Meet my new favourite way to turn beef mince and a big bag of frozen corn into dinner! This is Pastel de Choclo, a classic Chilean casserole with a spiced onion beef filling and a thick corn topping that bakes up lightly caramelised, with surprise pockets of olives, raisins and boiled egg tucked inside. It's like South America's answer to Cottage Pie! Hearty, comforting, something a little difference, I love the combination of the sweet corn pudding with the savoury beef filling. PS Frozen corn is super convenient but gosh, imagine making it with fresh summer corn?Recipe credits: Inspired by a visit to La Paula, a wonderful Chilean establishment in Fairfield, Sydney, and developed with reference to a number of recipes, listed in the blue box above the video.
Servings: 8
Calories: 537cal
Ingredients
Beef filling:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg / 2 lb beef mince (ground beef)
- 3 large onions , diced (4 - 5 medium ones)
- 4 large garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1/4 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock/broth , low sodium
Beef spice mix:
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp paprika (regular/sweet, not spicy or smoked)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Corn layer:
- 50g/ 3 tbsp unsalted butter (or olive oil)
- 1.25 kg/ 2.5 lb frozen corn , still frozen is fine, or kernels cut off corn cobs (8 cups)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 cup milk (any fat %, non-dairy is ok too)
- 12 - 15 large basil leaves , optional (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp fine cornmeal or semolina (Note 2)
Assembling / baking:
- 1/4 cup pitted black olives roughly chopped, Chilean or South American (if you can) else Kalamata is fine
- 2 soft boiled eggs , quartered (8 minutes lowered into boiling water)
- 2 tbsp raisins (or sultanas)
- 1 tbsp regular sugar (granulated sugar) , not caster sugar / superfine sugar (Note 3)
- Pinch paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°C (180°C fan-forced).
Beef filling:
- Cook beef - Heat the oil in a large 30cm/12" pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red. Cook for another couple of minutes, breaking up the beef into fine pieces. Remove beef from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat and juices behind.
- Cook onion - To the same pan, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is translucent.
- Simmer and reduce - Add the beef and mix through. Stir in the spices. Add the flour and mix until you no longer see flour. Add the stock and stir - it will thicken into a gravy quite quickly, coating the beef. Lower heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly so the base doesn't catch, until the mixture is thick enough so you can draw a path across the base of the pan and it stays.
- Remove from stove and spread in a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13") pan, then set aside and let it cool while you make the corn.
Corn layer:
- Sauté - Melt the butter in a pot over medium high heat. Add corn (still frozen is fine) and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Blitz - Add milk, salt and basil. Stir, then use a stick blender to blitz ~ 30 seconds (moving it around) or until you no longer see whole corn kernels. It won't be complete smooth which is what you want.
- Thicken - Stir in cornmeal. Lower heat to medium or medium low so it's not spitting. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly so the base doesn't catch. It should be thick enough to mound in a heap on the spoon, and when you draw a path across the base it should stay in place.
Assemble and bake:
- Assemble - Press the eggs into the beef, scatter with olives and raisins.
- Corn topping - Dollop the corn mixture across the surface then spread and smooth the surface. Sprinkle all over with the sugar, then paprika (sprinkle from a height for light coverage).
- Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until the surface is golden. Cool 15 minutes to let it set a bit so you can cut neat(ish) slices, then cut like lasagna and serve!
Notes
1. Basil is typically included in the corn layer and it adds a subtle herbiness that works so well with the sweet corn! But it's not a deal killer if you don't have any. I wouldn't make a special trip just to get it, unless I had a Chilean coming over for dinner. :)
2. Cornmeal is typically used to thicken the corn pudding layer so it sets in the oven. Use fine ground cornmeal, not the coarser ground that is more common in Australian grocery stores which leaves grit. Else, use semolina (it's a direct substitute, you can't tell the difference) or regular plain flour/all-purpose flour (I couldn't tell the difference with this either!).
3. Sugar - Best to use regular / granulated sugar which are coarse than caster sugar (superfine sugar) which is so fine it sinks into the corn layer before it caramelises.
4. Recipe credits - Adapted from recipe sources found online, as listed in the blue box above the video (it's lengthy)!
Leftovers will keep for 3 - 4 days in the fridge. It freezes ok though the corn layer gets a little softer than ideal to me.
Nutrition per serving assuming 8 servings.
Nutrition
Calories: 537cal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 841mg | Potassium: 1018mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1091IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 5mg