South American
The Latin American pantry items chef Alejandro Saravia swears by – and where he buys them from
The Peru-born chef behind Morena in Sydney and Melbourne shares the Latin American ingredients he always has on hand and how he likes to cook with them.
- Nina Rousseau
Peruvian-style green spaghetti with spinach, feta and smoked almonds
The influx of Italians in Peru in the early 1800s resulted in this twist on the Ligurian pesto pasta, known as tallarines verdes.
- < 30 mins
- Katrina Meynink
Picanha beef skewers with cheese-stuffed flatbreads
Fire up the barbie. We’re heading to Flavour Town.
- < 30 mins
- Jessica Brook
Grilled sausages with chickpea mash and chimichurri
An Argentinian-inspired barbecue dish starring the garlic-rich and vinegar-sharp dressing.
- < 30 mins
- Danielle Alvarez
Scallop ceviche
Choose scallops in their shells, which make perfect saucers for serving.
- 1-2 hrs
- STEVE MANFREDI
Chimichurri meatball sub
Herby chimichurri relish takes a saucy meatball sandwich in a South American direction. Squeeze sausage meat from its casing for these cheat's meatballs.
- < 30 mins
- Jessica Brook
Danielle Alvarez's Cuban-style pulled-pork sandwiches
As a Cuban, I have mojo – the nation's garlic-laden marinade – running through my veins. I remember watching my mum and grandmother dress a suckling pig with it before slow-roasting the meat in an outdoor oven – the centrepiece of our big family gatherings. My favourite part of the meal came the next day, though, when we'd warm up all the leftover meat and stuff it into soft Cuban bread rolls. Here, we're making the process easier using pork shoulder and the kitchen oven.
- 2 hrs +
- Danielle Alvarez
Picanha beef roast with fig jam and spices
This is guaranteed roast success. The sheath of fat that gets spiced and rendered down and then a quick workout in the oven ensures the most gloriously flavoursome, lip-smackingly tender meat for your Christmas spread. The slow cook of spiced fig jam also makes your house smell absolutely glorious. You need to start this recipe 1 day ahead for the spice-party guests to get acquainted.
- 2 hrs +
- Katrina Meynink
Katrina Meynink's spice roasted chicken and chimichurri
So, we have a braising-roasting situation going on here and it is completely worth it. The chicken skin is covered in spices and placed into a roasting tray housing a can of your favourite brew. By keeping the skin dry, but adding a liquid, it ensures a spectacularly soft – and not dried and sad – roasted chicken. The beer braises and (almost) steams as it evaporates. And I like to think it adds a nice background yeasty umami to the chicken.
- Katrina Meynink
Gluten-free pineapple and polenta cake
This gluten-free cake owes its pleasingly gritty texture to nuts, polenta and coconut, and its gently acidic tang to fresh pineapple. Using tinned pineapple will halve the preparation time as you won't need to slice or cook the fruit, but you won't get all the wonderfully complex, juicy fruit flavours that a fresh pineapple delivers.
- 1-2 hrs
- Helen Goh
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/topic/south-american-lab