Chilean
Curanto
A celebratory Chiloé feast of briny shellfish, smoky meats, potatoes and handmade breads steamed beneath cabbage leaves.
8 servings · 75 minutes prep · 80 minutes cook
Ingredients
Chapaleles
- 12 oz (about 2 medium), Peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- 1½ cups, plus up to 2 tbsp if needed, Reserve the additional flour for an excessively sticky dough.
- 1 tbsp, Rendered pork lard, softened.
- ½ tsp, Diamond Crystal kosher salt; the recipe’s only added salt.
Milcaos
- 1¼ lb (about 3 medium), Peeled and kept raw for grating.
- 8 oz (about 1 large), Peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces for boiling.
- 3 oz (about 3 thick slices), Cut into ¼-inch dice.
- ¼ tsp, Freshly ground.
Shellfish and aromatics
- 2 lb (about 24), Live.
- 2 lb (about 30), Live.
- 1 large onion (10 oz), Sliced into ½-inch rings.
- 8 large cloves (about 1⅛ oz), Lightly crushed and peeled.
- 1 cup, Dry Chilean white wine.
- 2 tsp, Dried and aromatic.
- 1 tsp, Freshly ground.
- 1 tsp, Traditional Chilean merkén.
Meat, potatoes and cabbage
- 1½ lb, Unsauced and cut into individual ribs.
- 1 lb (about 4 links), Fresh Chilean-style links.
- 4 thighs (about 1¾ lb), Bone-in and skin-on.
- 2½ lb (about 10), each 2–3 inches wide, Small and scrubbed.
- 14 large leaves (about 1½ lb), Shave the thickest part of each center rib level.
Directions
Make the potato breads
- Put the cut russet potatoes for both breads in a {{tool:saucepan}} and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Boil, then simmer 14–18 minutes until completely tender. Drain in a {{tool:colander}}, return to the hot pan for 1 minute and shake gently to evaporate moisture. Rice or mash smooth; measure 12 ounces for chapaleles and 8 ounces for milcaos, then cool until barely warm.
- Mix the 12 ounces mashed russet potatoes with 1½ cups all purpose flour, lard and kosher salt. Knead gently for about 1 minute until cohesive. If sticky enough to coat your fingers, add reserved flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide into 8 pieces, form ½-inch-thick ovals and cover with {{tool:cheesecloth}} or a clean towel.
- Cook the smoked bacon in a {{tool:skillet}} over medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes until lightly crisp and rendered. Remove from the heat, retaining the bacon and fat.
- Finely grate the raw russet potatoes with a {{tool:box-grater}} onto clean {{tool:cheesecloth}} or an undyed cotton towel. Gather and twist firmly over a {{tool:mixing-bowl}} until no more liquid runs out. Let the liquid stand 10 minutes, then pour it away carefully, preserving the settled starch.
- Combine the squeezed russet potatoes, reserved starch, 8 ounces mashed potato, smoked bacon with its fat and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Knead evenly, divide into 8 portions and form compact patties 3 inches wide and ½ inch thick. Cover.
Prepare the shellfish and meat
- Scrub the littleneck clams and mussels under cold running water; remove the mussels’ beards. Discard cracked shellfish and open shellfish that fail to close when tapped. Do not soak them in fresh water.
- Mix the dried oregano, remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper and merken. Rub half over the bone in chicken thighs and the remainder over the fresh pork longaniza and fully cooked smoked pork ribs. Do not add salt.
Layer the curanto
- Arrange the yellow onion and garlic cloves over the bottom of a 16-quart {{tool:stockpot}}. Add the dry white wine, then spread the littleneck clams and mussels in level layers so their liquor can circulate.
- Cover the shellfish completely with 5 overlapping green cabbage leaves, pressing the edges against the pot to trap steam and keep meat out of the shells.
- Arrange the fully cooked smoked pork ribs, fresh pork longaniza and bone in chicken thighs skin-side up over the cabbage. Keep chicken near the center, place the yukon gold potatoes around the meat and cover tightly with another 5 overlapping cabbage leaves.
- Place the chapaleles and milcaos in one unstacked layer. Cover with the remaining 4 green cabbage leaves and tuck their edges downward. Seal with the {{tool:lid}}; place two layers of foil beneath it if loose.
Steam and test for doneness
- Heat over medium-high for 12–15 minutes until the liquid bubbles audibly and steam escapes steadily. Reduce to medium-low and cook without uncovering for 50 minutes.
- Open away from your face. A knife must pass through a center potato without resistance. Using an {{tool:instant-read-thermometer}}, verify the bone in chicken thighs reach at least 165°F without touching bone and the fresh pork longaniza reaches 160°F. Chapaleles must be firm and surface-dry; milcaos must be cohesive. If any test fails, reseal and cook 8–12 minutes longer.
- Remove from the heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Transfer potato breads, yukon gold potatoes, meats and cabbage to warm {{tool:serving-platters}}. Lift shellfish with a {{tool:slotted-spoon}}, discarding every clam or mussel that remains closed.
- Strain the broth through a {{tool:fine-mesh-sieve}}. Taste before adding salt; it should be deeply savory and briny. Use a {{tool:ladle}} to portion some into warm {{tool:serving-bowls}} and serve the remainder alongside.
