Buenos Aries, came as something of a relief after my hectic stay in LaPaz. This vast sprawling metropolis is home to a whopping 12 million people (that’s a quarter of the population of the entire country.) But despite this, the individual neighbourhoods are full of cosmopolitan charm and the city itself is reminiscent of continental Europe. The city is rich in culture, being home to the highest concentration of theatres in the world and is overflowing with restaurants representing the best of the world’s cuisines.
My favourite area of Buenos Aeries was Palmero Soho, a modestly bohemian area of the city, full of beautiful boutiques, quality artwork (both traditional and street) and some of the country’s best Parilla restaurants. When you think Argentina, it is hard not to think of steaks and at La Cabrera I enjoyed my one truly great steak experience in the country. The aged, half-kilo ribeye steak was glorious enough, but most exciting were the various dips, sauces and sides that come with it. From chimichurri and tapenade, to creamed spinach and pomme puree, the sides elevated the steak to new heights. The delicious Argentinian Malbec my waiter recommended might have embellished my experience too. But publishing a recipe for steak seems a bit of a cop out, as most people already know what they like. So I had to look elsewhere.
My most exciting foodie experience was a visit to a local cookery school. Here I was in my element, discussing recipes with our host in an effort to gain as much information about the national cuisine as I could. I also tasted some glorious food, so it is these recipes I have attempted to recreate to share on the blog. The first is a Humita Empanada. Unlike the Saltena recipe I have just posted, Argentinian Empanadas are traditionally made with bread instead of pastry (in fact to empanar means to wrap in bread). In addition, the gloriously sweet and spicy humita filling is completely vegetarian and so can be enjoyed by everyone.
Makes 12
Ingredients
For the dough:
250ml water
1tsp salt
2tbsp sunflower oil
500g plain flour
For the humita filling:
250ml whole milk 25g butter
25g plain flour
100g sweetcorn
1 large onion, diced onions
Butternut squash half, deseeded (200g approx)
50g grated Parmesan
1/4tsp chilli flakes
Ground nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Method
1. Put in a large bowl the water, the salt and the oil.
2. Add 4 full spoons of flour and integrate with a wooden spoon.
3. Add more flour until you can take the dough with your hands.
4. Continue kneading on the table and adding flour until you get the right texture.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
7. In a small saucepan put the onions to cook with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt stirring until they turn light brown (around 30 min). 8. Put the butternut squash half, cut side up, on a baking tray. Add some salt, pepper, and olive oil and bake until soft. Scoop it out. 9. In another saucepan melt the butter over a low heat and add the flour, cook for one minute or until the roux just starts to change the colour.
10. Add half of the milk and use a whisk to dissolve the roux and break the lumps.
11. Add the rest of the milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
12. When the béchamel sauce starts to boil add the corn kernels and cook for 5 minutes.
13. Remove from the heat then add the baked butternut squash, grated cheese and chilli flakes.
14. Check seasoning and allow to cool until needed.
15. Increase oven temperature to 220°C.
16. Sprinkle a little flour on the table; divide the dough into small balls – 12 in all.
17. Roll out each in turn with a rolling pin to a thickness of 3mm. Don’t let them stick together, put some flour between them!
18. Put 1 or 2 teaspoons of filling onto the rolled dough and paint the edges with water to seal.
19. Fold half of the dough over to make a semi circle and crimp the edges using small folds or, more simply, with a fork.
20. Place on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until puffed up and lightly browned.
21. Cool slightly before consuming.
Mastication / Destination 