Elizabeth Carrion: Lamb and Corn Casserole Recipe

Lamb and Corn Casserole Recipe

This is a sweet and savory dish and the perfect comfort food. Incredibly popular dish in Chile.

Pastel de Choclo is an incredibly popular dish in Chile. It is typically made with ground been and chicken. It is a sweet and savory dish and the perfect comfort food. In this recipe, we used lamb for the protein. Pasture fed lamb can be very healthy as it can be a significant source of omega-3 fat, which has been associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Spice up the holidays this season with this new dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 10 medium to large pimento stuffed olives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled
Pureed Corn Ingredients
• 6 ears corn
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Powder sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a deep heavy skillet, brown the ground lamb then add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.

2. Add chopped olives and capers and mix.

3. Then add the rest of your condiments (paprika, salt, coriander, tomato paste, basil) and continue to sauté until well incorporated.

4. Transfer to a deep small oven safe dish.

5. Top with sliced hard-boiled eggs. Set aside.

6. To the blender or food processor, add corn kernels, buttermilk, salt and 1 tablespoon sugar and blend until it is pureed.

7. In the same deep skillet melt butter and add corn mixture.

8. Cook for a few minutes until it has thickened, constantly mixing.

9. Spread corn mixture evenly over lamb and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

10. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned.

11. Serve warm.

Option: Add about ⅓ cup of golden raisins to the lamb for more sweet and savory flavors.
Serves 4 generous portions.

Elizabeth Carrion, a Dominican, co-founded Mi Cocina, a New Jersey-based catering service that also offers cooking classes, with her sister, Ana Martinez.