Partying, Chilean Style, With the Queen

In our family, we refer to our oldest sister, Linda, as the Queen. It’s not intended as a malicious handle, because she’s not a snob. She just has this regal quality that the rest of us lack. Our mother said she was like that from the beginning. Fastidious, headstrong and organized, with a passion for aesthetic detail. And really bossy.

Her husband, Rolando, is from Santiago, Chile. He’s Mr. Charm and Grace, and together they throw quite a party. My favorite events are family functions when their four sons are back home and there’s a lot of extended family and close friends around. Linda makes a large pan of pastel de choclo and a Chilean salad, served with Chilean empanadas from the Los Angeles restaurant Rincon Chileno on Melrose. For dessert she bakes a flan.

Here are her recipes. Long live the Queen.

Menu

Ro’s Tomato and Onion Salad

Pastel de Choclo

Flan

SHOPPING LIST

2 pounds ground beef

2 pequin chiles or 1 hontaka chile

1 (6-ounce) can pitted black olives

4 chicken breasts

2 chicken thighs

2 chicken drumsticks

6 (15 1/4-ounce) cans corn kernels

4 white onions

1 quart half and half

STAPLES

Raisins

Olive oil

2 onions

Garlic

Cumin

Paprika

Salt

Pepper

Milk

Sugar

4 tomatoes

1 lemon

1 dozen eggs

GAME PLAN

Day before: Prepare pastel de choclo up to point of baking. Bake flan but do not unmold (flan can be prepared up to 2 days in advance).

1 1/2 hours before: Bake pastel de choclo.

1 hour before: Prepare salad and unmold flan.

PASTEL DE CHOCLO

Dried pequin chiles are sold in most markets and Latino grocery stores. Dried hontaka chiles are available in Japanese markets.

1/2 cup raisins

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground beef

4 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 pequin chiles, crumbled, or 1 hontaka chile, coarsely crushed and seeded

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

Salt

Black pepper

1 (6-ounce) can pitted black olives

2 chicken thighs

2 chicken drumsticks

4 chicken breasts, each cut into 4 pieces

6 (14 1/4-ounce) cans whole corn kernels

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Soak raisins in hot water to cover 15 to 30 minutes.

In heavy 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Add ground beef and brown well, being careful to avoid scorching. Stir in onions, garlic, chiles, cumin, paprika, soaked raisins and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, uncovered, on low heat 15 minutes, stirring often. Transfer contents to 4-quart casserole. Evenly distribute olives over meat.

In heavy 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat to coat bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium; add chicken thighs and drumsticks. Brown quickly, reduce heat, cover and cook 15 minutes. Add chicken breasts and continue to cook, covered, 10 minutes. Arrange chicken pieces on top of meat mixture in casserole.

Puree corn and milk in blender, in 2 batches if necessary. Heat remaining oil in small skillet and cook corn puree about 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Mixture should have consistency of thick cereal. Pour corn over chicken in casserole, spreading mixture evenly to sides of dish.

Sprinkle top with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Then turn up heat to broil and bake until top is golden, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

738 calories; 1168 mg sodium; 115 mg cholesterol; 34 grams fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 38 grams protein; 3.79 grams fiber.

RO’S TOMATO AND ONION SALAD

4 white onions

4 tomatoes

Juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Quarter onions, then thinly slice. Quarter tomatoes, seed and slice in thin wedges. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and drizzle over onions and tomatoes.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

108 calories; 301 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.64 gram fiber.

FLAN

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 quart half and half

12 egg yolks

Heat 1 cup sugar in heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, until sugar starts to melt. When sugar begins to melt, stir constantly, being careful not to scorch.

When sugar is rich brown color and consistency of caramel, pour immediately into 2-quart souffle dish. Tilt dish to spread caramelized sugar across bottom and up sides of dish until sugar becomes too thick to spread.

Scald half and half in heavy saucepan. Lightly whip egg yolks in large bowl. When skin begins to form on half and half, remove from heat and stir in remaining sugar. Add half and half mixture to egg yolks little at time, whisking constantly.

Place souffle dish containing caramel in second pan big enough to hold dish. Pour egg and cream mixture into caramelized dish. Place pans on middle rack of 350-degree oven and add boiling water to 2/3 of way up sides of souffle dish. Cover loosely with foil.

Bake until small knife blade inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.

When done, remove from hot water bath and cool on rack to room temperature. Then refrigerate 24 hours.

To serve, cut around top edge of custard until released from sides of dish. Place rimmed platter upside-down over souffle dish and carefully invert.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

379 calories; 62 mg sodium; 453 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0 fiber.