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Vegetarian pastel de choclo
Chilean summer bake of a savoury mushroom pino under a sweet basil corn topping, sugared and browned
In Chile pastel de choclo is the taste of January and February, when choclo (big-kernelled starchy corn) is in every market from Santiago to Talca and families bake it in individual clay dishes called pailas. Underneath is the pino, a slow-cooked onion filling with olives, raisins and hard-boiled egg; on top, fresh corn blended with basil and a little milk, scattered with sugar so it browns into a crackly crust. This version makes the pino with mushrooms instead of beef. Chef's tip: cook the corn topping on the hob until it thickens like polenta before it goes in the oven, or it will stay runny.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pino
For the corn topping
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium-low heat. Add 3 onions and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft, sweet and pale gold. Chileans judge pino by its onions, so don't rush them.
15 minStep 2: Turn the heat to medium-high, add 1 ⅛ lb chestnut mushrooms and cook for 8–10 minutes until their water has evaporated and they start to brown.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp salt, then ½ cup vegetable stock. Simmer for 3 minutes until juicy but not wet.
3 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Blend 2 lb sweetcorn kernels, fresh or frozen with ⅔ oz fresh basil leaves until fairly smooth with some texture left.
Step 5: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a pan over a medium heat, add the corn and 1 tsp salt and stir for 5 minutes. Add ¾ cup milk gradually and keep stirring for 5–8 minutes more until it is thick enough to hold a ridge, like soft polenta. Common mistake: skipping this step; raw blended corn turns watery in the oven.
12 minStep 6: Spread the pino in a 25 × 20 cm baking dish (or 6 individual dishes). Dot over 12 black olives, 1 ⅜ oz raisins and 3 hard-boiled eggs.
Step 7: Spoon the corn over the top, smooth it and sprinkle evenly with 3 tbsp sugar.
Step 8: Bake for 30–35 minutes until the top is golden-brown with darker caramelised patches; finish under the grill for 2 minutes if needed. Rest for 10 minutes before serving with a tomato and onion salad.
35 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetarian pastel de choclo take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of chestnut mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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