Cazuela de Campo (Country Cazuela)
A clear, comforting broth simmering with a piece of meat, a whole potato, a wedge of *zapallo* (Andean pumpkin), corn, and rice or wheat. Each bowl delivers a little treasure of vegetables in a golden consommé.
A clear, comforting broth simmering with a piece of meat, a whole potato, a wedge of *zapallo* (Andean pumpkin), corn, and rice or wheat. Each bowl delivers a little treasure of vegetables in a golden consommé.
Look, this *cazuela* is the table of my whole valley in a bowl. At home in Vicuña, we wasted nothing: a little meat, the pumpkin ripened in the Elqui sun, the potato, the ear of corn — and the water did the rest, slowly, unhurriedly. My mother used to say the secret was not in the meat but in the patience of the fire. Have the piece of pumpkin last, my child, it is the sweetest part, the one we save for those we love.
- •Beef stew meat (or hen) — one meaty bone per person (broth base)
- •Zapallo (Andean pumpkin) — one large wedge (sweetness and binder)
- •Potatoes — one whole per person (starch)
- •Corn on the cob — half an ear per person (garnish)
- •Rice or cracked wheat — a handful (thickener)
- •Onion, garlic, dried oregano — to taste (aromatics)
Cazuela de Campo (Country Cazuela)
A clear, comforting broth simmering with a piece of meat, a whole potato, a wedge of *zapallo* (Andean pumpkin), corn, and rice or wheat. Each bowl delivers a little treasure of vegetables in a golden consommé.
Why this dish? The *cazuela* is the heart of the peasant table of the Elqui Valley where Lucila Godoy grew up: a long, fragrant broth that fills a modest household at little cost. Frugal by habit, Mistral remained faithful all her life to this simple countryside cooking of Chile, indifferent to the refinements of diplomatic dinners.
Look, this *cazuela* is the table of my whole valley in a bowl. At home in Vicuña, we wasted nothing: a little meat, the pumpkin ripened in the Elqui sun, the potato, the ear of corn — and the water did the rest, slowly, unhurriedly. My mother used to say the secret was not in the meat but in the patience of the fire. Have the piece of pumpkin last, my child, it is the sweetest part, the one we save for those we love.
Ingredients (period version)
- Beef stew meat (or hen) — one meaty bone per person (broth base)
- Zapallo (Andean pumpkin) — one large wedge (sweetness and binder)
- Potatoes — one whole per person (starch)
- Corn on the cob — half an ear per person (garnish)
- Rice or cracked wheat — a handful (thickener)
- Onion, garlic, dried oregano — to taste (aromatics)
Ingredients
- Beef shank (or chicken thighs) — 4 pieces (broth base)
- Pumpkin or butternut squash — 400 g, large cubes (sweetness and binder)
- Medium potatoes — 4 (starch)
- Corn — 2 half-ears (garnish)
- Rice — 100 g (thickener)
- Onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Garlic — 2 cloves (aromatic)
- Dried oregano, salt — 1 tsp oregano (seasoning)
Method
- Sauté the onion and garlic, add the meat and brown it.
- Cover with water (about 2 liters), salt, and simmer gently for 1 hour, covered, skimming as needed.
- Add the whole potatoes and half-ears of corn; cook for another 20 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin and rice; cook for 15–20 minutes until tender.
- Season with oregano at the end. Serve a piece of each vegetable and meat in each bowl, generously ladled with broth.
How it was made : In the peasant homes of northern Chile, the *cazuela* simmered in an earthenware pot over a wood fire for much of the morning. It was adapted to whatever the garden and barnyard provided; the chicken version (*cazuela de ave*) was for slightly better days.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a deep earthenware bowl, place the corn cob upright in the center like a little golden tower, and sprinkle with fresh oregano.
Sources : Eugenio Pereira Salas, Apuntes para la historia de la cocina chilena (1943)
Gabriela Mistral · Charactorium
