POWER of ONE
Hearty soups and stews are Latin American staples – one-pot wonders packed with flavour, perfect for winter comfort.
A staple throughout Latin America, black beans make a tasty soup charged with spice and spiked with lime.
Black bean soup
Black turtle beans are widely used in Latin American dishes, from Brazil’s feijoada (see our masterclass on p46) to the simple bean soups of Cuba and Mexico. We’ve taken the latter approach, simply adding cumin and oregano to the soup base. A good pinch of dried epazote, a Mexican herb, would add another savoury note; it’s available online from good Mexican shops such as Monterey Foods and Fireworks Foods. Finish the soup with a good scattering of feta, which is similar to queso fresco, the fresh cheese used in Latin American cooking, and a few slices of ripe but firm avocado. Prep time 20 mins, cook 1½ hrs Serves 6
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tsp coarsely crushed cumin seeds 2 tsp dried oregano
1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock 500 gm dried black turtle beans (see note), soaked overnight, then drained
Coarsely chopped coriander (optional), crumbled feta, sliced avocado, lime wedges and toasted tortillas, to serve
1 Fry onion in oil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent (8-10 minutes). Add garlic, cumin and oregano and stir until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add stock and beans, and bring to the boil, skimming any scum from the surface, then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender (1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes).
2 Pulse soup with a hand-held blender to your preferred texture, season to taste, divide among bowls, top with coriander, feta and avocado, and serve with lime wedges and tortillas.
Note Dried black turtle beans are available online from Monterey Foods (montereyfoods.com.au). Drink suggestion Dark brown porter.
Duck and potato stew
Duck is a popular meat in Peru, where muscovy ducks have been bred for centuries. This light stew is flavoured with aji amarillo, the bright orange-yellow chilli used widely in Peru. Peruvian cooks would make a fresh chilli paste from scratch, but the pepper is hard to find fresh in Australia so we’ve used a ready-made paste. Fragrant with beer and coriander, this dish is often served with salsa criolla, a fresh onion salsa spiked with coriander, lime, olive oil and chilli. We’ve served ours seasoned with coriander and lime juice. Prep time 20 mins, cook 2 hrs 20 mins Serves 4
2 tsp olive oil
4 duck Marylands, cut in half through the joint
1 small white onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
60 ml (¼ cup) aji amarillo paste (see note) 350 ml chicken stock
60 ml beer, preferably amber ale
1 cup finely chopped coriander, plus extra to serve (optional)
8 kipfler potatoes, halved if large
4 frozen aji amarillo chillies (optional; see note)
Steamed white rice and lime halves (optional), to serve
1 Heat olive oil in a large wide saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat, add duck pieces and fry, turning occasionally, until browned all over and fat has rendered (3-5 minutes).
Set duck aside, add onion to pan and sauté over medium heat until softened (10-12 minutes).
Add garlic, stir until tender (2-3 minutes), then add aji amarillo paste and stir until fragrant
(1-1½ minutes). Add stock, beer and coriander and bring to the boil. Return duck to pan, season to taste, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until duck is very tender, adding potatoes and chillies to pan during the last 20 minutes of cooking (1½-2 hours).
2 Skim off excess fat and spoon duck stew onto rice, top with coriander and serve with lime halves.
Note Aji amarillo paste and the frozen chillies are available online from Tierras Latinas (tierraslatinasenaustralia.com) and Fireworks Foods (fireworksfoods.com.au).
Wine suggestion Amber-coloured skin-contact white wine.>
Salt cod and bean soup Fanesca This Ecuadorian soup is typically served at Easter, and is ideal for a crowd. Traditionally 12 varieties of bean are used, representing the apostles, but use any mix you like, and whatever vegetables are in season. Look for salt cod that isn’t too dry – a thick fillet or side is best. Very dry fish take more soaking. Prep time 40 mins, cook 1 hr 40 mins (plus soaking) Serves 8-10
450 gm (2½ cups) mixed dried beans, such as lima, kidney or cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water, and drained
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
2 white onions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
15 gm achiote paste (see note)
1½ tsp coarsely ground cumin seeds
500 ml (2 cups) milk
3 litres (12 cups) chicken stock
600 gm (½ small) butternut pumpkin, peeled,
halved, seeded and diced
130 gm ( 2/ cup) green lentils
3
130 gm ( 2/ cup) long-grain white rice
3
900 gm boneless, skinless salt cod fillet, soaked overnight in 3 changes of water, drained and cut into 4cm-5cm chunks
120 gm (1 cup) frozen peas
1 zucchini, diced Chopped coriander, thinly sliced jalapeño ` chillies, quartered hard-boiled eggs and ground chilli, such as ancho chilli (optional), extra-virgin olive oil and lime wedges (optional), to serve
1 Boil beans in a large saucepan until just tender (20-25 minutes), then drain and set aside.
2 Heat oil in a large casserole over medium heat, add onion and sauté until soft and translucent (10-12 minutes). Add garlic, stir until fragrant
(2-3 minutes), then stir in achiote paste and cumin, and stir constantly until toasted (2-4 minutes). Add milk, 2 litres stock and cooked beans and simmer gently uncovered until beans are very tender (30-35 minutes). Add pumpkin, lentils and rice, and stir to combine, then add salt cod and remaining stock, and simmer until lentils, rice and cod are tender (15-20 minutes). Season to taste, stir in peas and zucchini, and cook until just tender (2-4 minutes). Remove salt cod from soup, break into bite-sized pieces, then return to soup.
3 Ladle soup into bowls, top with coriander, jalapeños, hard-boiled egg and ground chilli, drizzle with olive oil and serve with lime wedges. Note Achiote or annatto paste, made from the seeds of the annatto tree, is available online from Fireworks Foods (fireworksfoods.com.au).
Wine suggestion Rich, dry pinot gris. Ecuadorian potato soup Locro de papa This potato and cheese soup is an Ecuadorian classic, although various iterations are found throughout Latin America. Some include smoky sausage or pork, and at different times of the year other ingredients such as cabbage, corn, sweet potato and pumpkin are added to the mix. It’s served either as a chunky broth, or a smooth purée – this version is somewhere in between, with the potatoes mashed to thicken the soup while still retaining a little texture. Prep time 30 mins, cook 45 mins (plus standing) Serves 4-6 (pictured p128)
80 ml ( 1/ cup) olive oil
3
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground achiote (see note), plus extra to serve
1.8 kg floury potatoes, such as sebago, coarsely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) milk
60 gm coarsely grated feta, plus extra, crumbled, to serve
60 gm coarsely grated vintage cheddar Coarsely chopped coriander and thinly sliced spring onion, to serve Aji amarillo sauce 4 long green chillies or 2 jalapeños 1 cup (firmly packed) coriander 4 spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp aji amarillo paste (see note) Juice of 2 limes
½ tsp ground cumin