Pastel de choclo

Pastel de choclo layers a beef-and-onion filling, called pino, beneath a thick corn purée flavoured with basil or other herbs. Cooked chicken, hard-boiled egg, olives and raisins may also be added. The assembled dish is baked and served hot, often with a tomato-and-onion salad. Pilar Hernandez describes it as a summer dish eaten at family gatherings in Chile.^[1]

The Chilean corn used for the topping produces a creamy paste when grated. Hernandez distinguishes it from the sweetcorn available in the United States, which she adapts by adding cornmeal. In her recipe, the beef filling and corn mixture are cooked separately before assembly. A little sugar sprinkled on the surface helps the topping brown in the oven. Clay dishes or ordinary baking dishes can be used.^[1]