We never made any type of Cuban corn stew in my household, but I was reading "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" (it's also posted online "
Guiso de Maiz" by Mary Urrutia) and I also saw a recipe for "
Guiso de Maiz" by Nitza Villapol (the communist Cuban Julia Child) after reading those recipes I felt like making a corn stew (yes even in the summer heat :) so I observed both recipes, both where a bit iffy, I read both recipes to get an understanding of the dish, and then I just cooked it my way to suit my families taste preferences.
My version of the dish is like the Cuban "Potajes" I usually make but instead of being bean/ legume based it's fresh sweet corn based. (Corn is in season so expect some more fresh corn dishes the corn at the store looks beautiful. My grandma taught me a delicous dish with pork meat and corn in a creole sauce very good hopefully I'll have the chance to make that some time soon)
Ingredients:-1/2 medium sized
Calabaza cut in large chunks (like Butternut, Banana, Hubbard, etc. Carribean Squash is what's suppose to be used in Cuban cooking but it's not readily available here where I live and the others make good substitutes, any starchy orange fleshed winter squash will do)
-3 medium
potatoes (peeled, and cut into large chunks)
-5 cups
fresh corn kernels (I used about 5-6 large corn cobs it made 5 cups)
-2 medium
Spanish Chorizo's (or 1/2 a large Spanish CHorizo I used Palacios "
Chorizo Español Autentico")
- 1/2 lbs.
cubed pork ham-1/4 cup more or less
extra-virgin olive oil-1 large
green bell pepper-1 large yellow
onion-1/2 head of
garlic peeled mashed to a paste
-1 can 8 oz. about 1 cup
tomato sauce-1 1/2 teaspoons ground
cumin-
salt to taste (I used like 2 teaspoons)
-5-6 cups
water
Directions:(1)Heat olive oil in a deep large pot on medium high, sautee cubed pork until browned and renders some fat, add spanish chorizo, sautee until aromatic, now add onion and bell pepper sautee 5-7 minutes until translucent, add garlic sautee 2 minutes, throw in cumin and stir until fragrant like 30-60 seconds. Now add tomato sauce until it stats bubbling let it cook for about 2 minutes. You finally formed you base (sofrito with ham and chorizo)
.... I forgot to take a picture of me adding the tomato sauce but you get the point and sofrito looks damn good already ;)
(2)Add corn kernels stir well, add water, throw in potatoes and calabaza along with water, salt to taste and bring to a strong boil cover and simmer on low 30 minutes, uncover and it's done.
(3)You can serve it alone or if you don't mind all the carbs eat it with bread :) I think a nice salad is good with it to but not nessecarry.
SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!:-When peeling the fresh corn cobs do not THROW AWAY the corn "hairs" (those silky looking hairs from the corns inside???? I will show you how to make a refreshing tea with it that we make in my household)
Lastly:You may be interesterd if you have fresh corn in this Cuban dish I make "
Arroz Con Maiz" (Steamed Yellow Rice with Corn)
-sugar to taste (optional we didn't use it this time and it doesn't really need it but to each his own)
P.S.
