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Tarta de choclo
Tarta de choclo: shortcrust tart with creamy sweetcorn, white sauce, onion and cheese
ArgentinianAsk any Argentine rotisería for a slice of tarta and choclo will be next to the chard and the ham-and-cheese. This is the creamy one: sweetcorn kernels folded into a thick white sauce with softened onion and red pepper, set with egg and cheese inside a buttery shortcrust. It is lunchbox and picnic food, eaten warm or at room temperature with a green salad, and it is a big favourite with children for its sweetness. The filling should slice cleanly but still be soft. A runny centre is the usual problem, and it comes from a thin white sauce or from forgetting to blind-bake: make the sauce thick enough to coat the spoon heavily, and part-bake the case. Mozzarella and grated hard cheese are often made with animal rennet, so buy vegetarian ones if that matters. Chef's tip: blitz a third of the corn with the white sauce; it gives a creamier, more corn-tasting filling while the whole kernels keep some bite.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the filling
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (7)
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Rub 4 ½ oz cold butter into 9 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add 4 tbsp iced water and press together into a dough, adding a few more drops if needed.
Step 2: Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill.
20 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Roll the pastry to 3 mm and line a 24 cm tart tin. Prick the base, line with baking paper and baking beans and bake until the edges are set.
15 minStep 4: Remove the paper and beans and bake again until the base looks dry and pale gold.
5 minStep 5: Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion and ½ red pepper until soft.
7 minStep 6: Melt 1 oz butter in a saucepan, stir in 1 oz plain flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in 1 ¼ cups milk gradually. Simmer, whisking, until thick enough to coat the spoon heavily.
5 minStep 7: Blend a third of 16 oz sweetcorn kernels with the white sauce until fairly smooth. Stir in the rest of the corn, the onion mixture, 1 pinch ground nutmeg and ¾ tsp salt.
Step 8: Let the filling cool for 5 minutes, then beat in 2 eggs and 3 ½ oz mozzarella and pour into the pastry case. Sprinkle with 1 oz grated hard cheese.
Step 9: Bake until the top is golden in patches and the centre wobbles only slightly when you nudge the tin.
30 minStep 10: Rest for 15 minutes before slicing so the filling sets.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tarta de choclo take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 45 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.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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