"Can we eat ants from the garden?" (Week 6 - Colombia)

Columbia is named after the explorer Christopher Columbus, although he never actually visited. It was his companion, Alonso de Ojeda who was the first European to land here in 1499.  When the Spanish landed here the wealth of the Musica Indians promoted the myth of El Dorado, a mysterious city of gold. Columbia is a major exporter of coal and coffee beans, over a million tons of coffee beans are grown each year. More recently, the brightly coloured scarlet macaws have become so popular as pets, that the Columbium government has introduced a law stating that people are not allowed to catch them without a special licence.

 

CUISINE

 

Columbia has an obsession with fried food, take breakfast for example; scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions, accompanied by a fried maize pancake known as an arepa or a tamale, which is a maize dough meat pie. Tamales are steamed in banana leaves (which you don’t eat) and eaten with hot chocolate for breakfast. Empanades, are similar, but deep fried. Like the rest of the world each region within the country has its own specialities, but most widespread is ‘bandeja paisa’, which consists of a tray filled to the brim of ground beef, chorizo sausage, beans, rice, fried green bananas, a fried egg, avocado and fried pork. A more sophisticated speciality is ‘hormigas culonas’, otherwise known as fried black ants. Figs (brevas) are a popular dessert and are usually served with sugar based brown syrup, savoured by the Colombians.

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

 

I did mention that in Colombia they eat fried ants to our 7 year old; which prompted the question about eating ants from the garden. You can understand why. I considered ‘burning’ some currants and pretending! I don’t like deep fried food, so Colombian meant I had to really search for something non fatty food, and searching through the library shelves I found the wonderful book “The Illustrated Food and Cooking of Caribbean” by Jenni Fleetwood and Marina Filippeli. I discovered this book a couple of years ago and did the soup with Arepa’s, which was very hearty, more like a stew, than our understanding of a soup, and nice. Although the Arepa’s, were quite a bit different to what we expected; thicker and more of a pastry consistency. I needed to cook them for a little longer than the recipe stated and add more butter, as the arepa’s did soak it up a little. I also did the Figs, but I was the only one that enjoyed them, they were very sweet but I can imagine that the syrup would be lovely on ice-cream. 

 

Anyway, back to this challenge and I wanted to do something new, so I picked out Rabbit in Coconut milk, which proved to be a double-challenge as I struggled to find rabbit, even our local butchers didn’t have any. I got the impression they were waiting for some to be brought in.... So, I used chicken thighs, I have had rabbit before and it does taste a little like corn-fed organic chicken. I nearly scored another 10 for this dish; my husband only docked me a point as I hadn’t used rabbit. It does seem as though the addition of coconut milk = high score; maybe I should have done the coconut rice pudding recipe I found too!  Our son wasn’t so keen on this, he said it was too hot but I think he was tired and was just in a little moaning mood (which we all get). It was a close call between cooking the Sea Bass or empanadas. The empanadas won as we all like a pie. Although, as I have mentioned before I don’t like fatty foods so instead of individual pies, I turned it into one big family pie and cooked it in the oven. It did taste nice, but I think we lost something in the cooking method, so I might re-do this the proper way in the future. If I do, then I will let you know. I will save the sea bass dish for one of our ‘date nights’ as I think I might get another 10 from my husband, as it uses coconut milk – I know they way to my husband’s heart.

Join us for Bermuda week next.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Rabbit in Coconut Milk......................................77

Empanadas.........................................................77

 

Wanted to cook:

Sea Bass

Arepa con Carne y Champiñones......................Corn Cake with Beef and Mushrooms

Arepas Dulces con Manzanas............................Sweet Arepas with Caramelized Apples

 

Previously cooked

Ajiaco.................................................................Chicken Soup

Dulce de Brevas .................................................Figs with Syrup

Arepa..................................................................Maize Pancakes

 

 

Rabbit in Coconut Milk

Source: “The Illustrated Food and Cooking of Caribbean”

Serves 4

Ingredients

 1 rabbit (cut into 8 peices, your butcher can do this for you) (or chicken thighs)

3 garlic gloves, crushed

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp cumin

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

14oz tin tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

¼ pints chicken stock

8 fl oz coconut milk

Salt and ground black pepper

White rice, or boiled potatoes to serve

 

Method

1. Wash the rabbit under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Combine the garlic, paprika and cumin in a bowl and rub the mixture all over the rabbit. Cover with clear film and leave to marinade in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions slices and cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Remove the onion with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the rabbit to the oil remaining in the pan, season and cook until golden. Do this over a very low heat to avoid burning the spices.
4. Return the onion slices in the pan and add the bay leaf. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. [If you are using chicken, simmer for 30minutes]
5. Stir in the coconut milk. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately with white rice or boiled potatoes.
                  

Empanadas

These empanadas are a popular snack in Colombia and are served by most Colombian restaurants in the USA. Traditionally, these delicious fritters are made with shredded pork and beef, or with ground meat. Serve them with ají and lime wedges on the side. In Colombia, empanadas are also sold outside of the churches. They are usually small and just have potato filling, a great alternative for vegetarians and absolutely delicious. For the vegetarian version of this Colombian empanadas recipe, follow all the directions just omitting the beef and pork.

 

Source: “The Illustrated Food and Cooking of Caribbean”

Ingredients
(About twenty, 3 inch empanadas)

 

8oz plain flour
½ tsp salt
4oz cold butter, cut into pieces
2 fl oz lukewarm water
Juice of ½ lime
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Chilli salsa, to serve (optional)

For the filling

1lb beef shin or leg (shank)
4 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp cumin
1 garlic glove, crushed
½ tsp paprika
8 fl oz beef stock
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed [I used carrots, as I had some I needed to use]
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper

 

Method

1. Make the filling. Cut the beef into large chunks and chop in a food processor until finely diced, but not minced (ground). This will tenderize the meat, cutting the cooking time.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide heavy pan over a high heat. Add the beef chunks and sauté until golden brown. Push the beef to the side and add the cumin, garlic and paprika to the pan. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring gently, for around 2 minutes until the spices begin to release their delicious aroma.
3. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, tomatoes and spring onions. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the beef is tender then season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool.
4. Meanwhile, place the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the small chunks of butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (this can be done by hand). Combine the lime juice and water and slowly pour into the food processor, with the motor still running. As soon as the pastry comes together, tip it on to a floured surface and gently knead to a soft dough. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 20 minutes.
5. On a floured surface roll out the pastry until it is very thin. Cut out 6cm / 2 ¼ inch circles, using a pastry cutter.
6. Spoon about 1 ½ tsp of the filling into the centre of a pastry circle, then brush the edges with water. Fold the pastry over to form a half-moon, and then press around the edges to seal. Repeat with the rest of the pastry.
7. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 5cm / 2 inch into a deep frying pan. Heat the oil, and then add five or six empanadas. Fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown, turning halfway through cooking. Remove from the pan with slotted spoon and drain. Repeat with the remaining empanadas. Serve with a little chilli salsa, if using.
    

Baked Sea Bass with Coconut

Source: “The Illustrated Food and Cooking of Caribbean”

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

1 whole large sea bass about 2lb, cleaned
2 fresh red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves. Crushed
Juice of 1 lime
15ml / 1tsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
200ml / 7fl oz coconut
Salt

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Thoroughly rinse the fish inside and out, and then pat dry with kitchen paper. Place in a large roasting pan and season all over with salt.
2. Generously sprinkle the chopped chillies, onion, garlic, lime juice and olive oil over the fish. Add the bay leaves to the pan and bake the fish in the oven for about 15 minutes.
3. Pour the coconut milk over the fish and return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily when tested with the tip of a sharp knife.
4. Cut along the back of the fish. This will release the flesh from the bones, making it easy to divide into portions. Serve with the sauce.
   Variations:  A rice dish would go well with this, for a complete meal cook some vegetables in the roasting pan with the sea bass. Sliced carrots, fennel and or courgettes would all go well with the coconut sauce. 
    

Arepa con Carne y Champiñones (Corn Cake with Beef and Mushrooms)

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

2 cooked arepas
2 cups portobello mushrooms, sliced½ teaspoon fresh thyme Salt and pepper ¼ teaspoon onions 1 garlic clove 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound thin beef steaks, skirt steaks are a good choice 2 garlic cloves crushed ½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 scallion, finely chopped
Salt, pepper and fresh cilantro (Coriander)

 

Directions:

1. To make the beef: Mix the crushed garlic, cumin, scallion, salt and pepper together to make a marinade for the meat.
2. Rub the garlic cumin marinade on the thin steaks and let marinate for a couple of hours or overnight.
3. Grill or fry the steaks over high heat to desired doneness. Since they are relatively thin they won’t take too long to cook. Set aside.
4. To make the mushrooms: Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7 minutes or until they are golden brown, stirring often.
5. To assemble: top each arepa with beef and mushrooms. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve warm.
    
    

Arepas Dulces con Manzanas (Sweet Arepas with Caramelized Apples)

 

Ingredients:

1 cup maize flour 1 cup warm water 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Vegetable oil for frying

 

For the Apples:

3 tablespoons butter Pinch salt 2 peeled and sliced apples 4 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water

 

Directions:

To make the arepas:

1. Combine the flour, warm water, cinnamon and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Let mixture stand for five minutes. Knead with your hands for about 3 minutes, moistening your hands with water as you work.
2. Form 6 small balls with the dough. Place each ball between 2 plastic bags and with a flat pot cover, flatten to ¼ inch.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot to 350 F. Add the arepas in the heated oil one by one, fry for 3 minutes, turning over once about half way through.
4. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the arepas from the oil and drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar. Set aside.
5. To cook the apples: Place the butter in a skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of salt. Add the apples and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to moderately low, add the water and cook until the apples are almost cooked through and the sugar has melted and is coating the apples in a light syrup.
7. To assemble: Place the arepas on a platter and top them with the apples and vanilla ice cream. 

Ajiaco (Chicken Soup)

by Tania Sigal

This hearty soup is a specialty of the mountainous region around Bogotá, and one of Colombia's most famous dishes. Aji is traditionally made with chillies that haven’t been seeded, but you’ll probably find it plenty spicy without the seeds. Leftover aji is delicious on roasted or grilled meats. Serves eight.

For the soup:

3 lb. cut-up chicken, skin removed, rinsed well 1 large white onion, peeled and cut into quarters 1 leek (white and light green parts only), cut into 1-inch rings, and rinsed thoroughly 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 ears fresh corn, cut crosswise into quarters 2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
¾  lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
¾  lb. Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes ¾ lb. small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 6 cloves garlic, peeled ½ cup fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves 2 chicken bouillon cubes 1 Tbs. salt; more to taste
½ tsp. ground black pepper

For the aji:

4 scallions (white and light green parts only) 1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded 1 small white onion, peeled 2 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chillies or hot red chillies, stems and seeds removed (wear gloves, and don’t touch your eyes) 3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves 3 Tbsp. white vinegar
¼  tsp. kosher salt

For the garnishes:

2 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche ½ cup small capers, rinsed and drained (if using large capers, chop them coarsely)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves

 

I made some simple changes; I reduced the chilli content in the aji, and I omitted the garnish as my family do not eat avocados, although I have included it for completness.

 

Method for the Soup:

1. Put the chicken in a large (at least 8-quart) stockpot and add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, frequently skimming off the foam that floats to the surface.
2. Add all the vegetables, the garlic, the cilantro, and the bouillon cubes to the pot, along with the salt and pepper. Stir a few times to distribute the vegetables and submerge as many of the solids as possible. When the broth returns to a gentle boil, partially cover the pot and simmer, stirring once or twice, for 1-1/2 hours. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
3. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, pick out the chicken pieces and put them on a large plate. Stir the soup with a large spoon, breaking up some of the potatoes to thicken the soup slightly. Keep hot if serving soon or let cool and refrigerate.
4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones and shred it by hand. Discard the bones and tendons, and put the shredded chicken in a serving bowl.
5. Make the aji: In a food processor, pulse all the aji ingredients until they’re finely minced. Transfer to a serving bowl.
6. Serving the Ajiaco: Put the avocados, sour cream or creme fraiche, capers and cilantro (coriander) leaves in small bowls and set them on the table along with the bowls of shredded chicken and the aji.
7. Reheat the soup if necessary and ladle it into large soup bowls, putting a quarter ear of corn in each bowl. Let your guests add the garnishes and the aji as they like 

Dulce de Brevas (Figs with Syrup)

This is a popular and traditional Colombian dessert that was always had on the table during the holidays, “Dulce de Brevas” or “Brevas Caladas”. It is simply figs cooked in a sugarcane (panela) syrup and served with white fresh cheese on the side.

Ingredients:

24 fresh and firm figs Juice of 1 lime 1lb panela (brown sugar) 2 cinnamon sticks
Water

Method:

1.  Make a crosswise cut on the top side of each fig. Place the figs in a large bowl.
2.  Add 4 cups of water, lime juice and let them soak overnight.  The next day rinse the figs and set a side.
3. Place the sugar, cinnamon sticks and 7 cups of water in a large pot and cook over low heat until the sugar is dissolved completely.
4.  Add the figs and cook over low heat until the sugar has a syrupy consistency, for about 1 hour and 40 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Serve the brevas with queso fresco on the side or refrigerate in a covered glass jar up to a week.

 

Melado is syrup that is popular in Colombia with some of the traditional desserts and it is made with panela. Panela is a product that is made with sugarcane, it is sweet and brown, it is sold in blocks or grated and the flavor is similar to brown sugar. However, panela has a lot of vitamins and minerals and is supposed to be good for you. In Colombian it is used in a drink called “agua de panela”, which literally means “panela water”. It is also used to sweeten coffee, chocolate and to make desserts. Agua de panela with lime is used by a lot of grandmothers in Colombia to help with flu symptoms.

 

The recipe for Melado:

1 cup (8oz) grated panela
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch ground cloves

Method 

1. Place all the ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium-low heat until the panela is dissolve completely and has syrup consistency.
2.  Place in a serving dish and let it cool.

Arepa is a typical Colombian recipe from the region Antioquia, they are served warm for breakfast, spread with butter and cheese on top, with a good cup of Colombian hot chocolate. These arepas are an essential part of the Colombian daily diet. You can serve them as a main course or appetizer with any topping you like.

 

Arepa (Maize Pancakes)

(Makes 4)

1 cup maize flour

1 cup warm water

2 tbsp butter

Combine flour, water and ½ the butter. Mix well, let mixture stand for 5 minutes. Knead for 3 minutes. Form 4 balls of dough and place each in a bag and flatten with a pan to ¼ inch. Add butter to pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side.