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Curanto en olla
Shellfish and meat pot
Chiloé's pot of mussels, clams, pork, chicken, sausage and potato
On the island of Chiloé in southern Chile, curanto is cooked in a pit lined with hot stones and covered with huge nalca leaves; in town kitchens and in Puerto Montt's market it is made in a big pot instead, curanto en olla. Mussels and clams, smoked pork, chicken and sausage steam together over potatoes and milcao (potato dumplings) until the juices make a rich broth, served in cups on the side. This dish contains pork and shellfish. Some cooks add white wine; this version uses water. The mistake is adding the shellfish too early; they go in at the end and must open, and any that stay closed are thrown away. Chef's tip: make the milcao a little ahead and keep it in the fridge so it holds its shape.
- Total time
- 135 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the milcao
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoespeeled and finely grated, squeezed dry
- 10 ½ oz potatoesboiled and mashed
- 1 ¾ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
For the pot
- 8 medium potatoesscrubbed, halved
- 4 chicken thighsbone in
- 1 onionin thick slices
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ¼ lb live musselsscrubbed and debearded
- 2 ¼ lb live clamssoaked in salted water 1 hour
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb potatoes, 10 ½ oz potatoes, 1 ¾ oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt into a dough. Shape into 8 flat cakes about 1.5 cm thick. Chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Discard any 2 ¼ lb live mussels or 2 ¼ lb live clams with broken shells or that stay open when tapped. Keep them in the fridge until needed.
Step 3: Lay 1 onion and 8 medium potatoes in the base of a very large pot. Add 1 ⅓ lb smoked pork ribs or smoked pork chops, 4 chicken thighs and 4 longaniza or other pork sausages on top, then the milcao. Pour in 4 ¼ cups water with 1 tsp salt.
Step 4: Cover with 6 large cabbage leaves leaves, put the lid on and bring to the boil, then steam over a medium heat for 50 minutes.
50 minStep 5: Add the mussels and clams on top, cover again and cook for 10–15 minutes, until every shell has opened. Throw away any that remain closed.
15 minStep 6: Check the chicken reaches 165°F and the sausage 160°F. Lift everything onto a large platter and serve the broth in cups on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does curanto en olla take?
- About 135 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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