Beef Pastel de Choclo

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g lean minced beef (5% fat)
• 2 brown onions (about 300 g)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp sweet paprika + 1 tsp dried oregano
• 60 g pitted black olives + 40 g raisins
• 3 eggs
• 4 tins of sweetcorn (560 g drained)
• 200 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 20 g cornflour
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 15 g unsalted butter
• 10 g caster sugar (for the top)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Small saucepan
• Large frying pan
• Medium saucepan
• Stick blender
• Baking dish, about 20 × 28 cm
• Wooden spoon

📖 Steps

1. Lower the eggs into a small pan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, then plunge them into cold water. Meanwhile, soak the raisins in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes so they plump up, then drain them.
2. Peel and finely chop the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and soften the onions for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until tender and translucent, without letting them brown.
3. Add the minced beef, turn the heat up to high and break it up with a wooden spoon for 5 to 6 minutes, until no pink remains. Stir in the cumin, paprika and oregano, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes: the filling should stay juicy.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Drain the sweetcorn and blitz it in the hand blender beaker with the milk, cornflour and basil leaves until almost smooth: a few small pieces may remain, which is normal.
5. Melt the butter in the medium saucepan over a medium heat, pour in the sweetcorn purée, season lightly with salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon: it will thicken and should have the consistency of a soft mash. Remove from the heat.
6. Spread the beef filling in the baking dish. Scatter over the halved olives, the drained raisins and the peeled eggs cut into quarters, pressing them lightly into the meat.
7. Cover with the sweetcorn cream, spreading it gently to the edges with the back of a spoon without mixing it into the filling. Sprinkle the whole surface with the sugar: it's the Chilean touch that caramelises the top.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 200 °C, until the top is nicely golden in places and the edges are bubbling. Leave to rest for 5 minutes out of the oven before serving so the portions hold together.