CHILEAN SWEET CORN CASSEROLE WITH BEEF PICADILLO (‘PASTEL DE CHOCLO’)

Prep: 1 hour; Cook: About 65 minutes Makes: 4 servings (6 with optional ingredients) I like to add coarse shreds of grilled chicken thigh and hard-cooked eggs to the meat mixture; neither are necessary. You will need a 10-inch-diameter cast-iron pan (measured from outside rim to outside rim) that is 2 inches deep.

INGREDIENTS

Savory layer: 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium-size sweet onion, halved, chopped 1 pound ground beef (recommended: 85 percent lean) ½ medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2-3 tablespoons sliced pitted manzanilla or Kalamata olives (optional) 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or ¼ teaspoon dried) ¼ teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or a pinch dried) Sweet corn crust: 8 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked and rinsed (or 24 ounces frozen sweet corn kernels) 1⁄3 cup cornmeal ¼ cup milk 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter For finishing:

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or basil 2-3 cups roughly shredded, boneless, skinless cooked chicken, optional

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, halved, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. For the savory layer, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in beef. Cook, breaking meat up into small chunks, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, garlic and olives. Stir in dissolved cornstarch until mixture boils, about 2 minutes. Stir in salt, paprika, cumin, oregano and thyme. Remove from heat and cool. (Mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated covered.) 2. For corn crust, add corn (either the shucked ears or the frozen corn) to a large kettle of boiling salted water. Cook 2 minutes. Drain and cool. If using corn on the cob, set each ear in a deep bowl and use a sharp knife to remove the corn kernels. You should have about 4½ cups corn kernels. 3. Put corn kernels, cornmeal, milk, cornstarch, sugar and salt into a food processor (or work in batches in a blender). Process until mixture is a nearly smooth batter. 4. Heat butter in large saucepan and add corn mixture. Cook and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture boils and thickens enough to make a clean swipe across the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Cool. (Mixture can be made several hours in advance; use at room temperature.) 5. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread beef mixture over the bottom of a 10-inch wellseasoned cast-iron skillet or a deep 2½quart baking dish. Top with cilantro or basil. Nestle the chicken and eggs, if using, down into the beef mixture. 6. Use a spatula to evenly spread the corn mixture over the meat mixture so it is completely covered. Smooth the top with the spatula and sprinkle with sugar to promote browning. Bake until the top is set and lightly browned at the edges, about 45 minutes. 7. Cool about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Use a metal spatula or pancake flipper to cut wedges and serve. Nutrition information per serving (without optional ingredients): 589 calories, 25 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 64 g carbohydrates, 26 g protein, 1242 mg sodium, 6 g fiber