Humita, a vegetarian recipe from Argentina

Name: Humita
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Argentina
Ingredients: 6 ears of fresh sweetcorn (about 800 g kernels); 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 red pepper, finely diced; 200 ml whole milk; 150 g soft cheese such as mozzarella, diced; 3 tbsp oil or butter; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 small bunch fresh basil; Salt and black pepper

Method

Cut the kernels from the cobs, then scrape the bare cobs with the back of the knife to collect the corn milk.
Blend two thirds of the kernels to a coarse purée and keep the rest whole for texture.
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a wide pan and sweat the onion and pepper for 8 minutes, until soft.
Stir in the paprika for 30 seconds, then add all the corn along with the scraped corn milk.
Pour in the milk, season, and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until thick enough for the spoon to leave a trail.
Off the heat, fold in the diced cheese and torn basil, stirring until the cheese pulls into strands.
Serve very hot in deep bowls, or spoon it into tied corn husks and steam it for the parcel version.

Humita comes two ways: this spoonable cream, or the same mixture tied in corn husks and steamed. Stir often towards the end, as corn catches on the base very easily.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use frozen or tinned corn?

Fresh corn supplies one thing nothing else does: the corn milk you scrape from the cobs with the back of the blade, which binds the cream. With frozen corn you have to compensate by blending a larger share of the kernels and accepting a less silky texture.

Mine keeps catching on the bottom. What do I do?

Corn sticks readily once it starts to thicken. Stir often through the last 15 to 20 minutes over low heat, and use a wide pan rather than a tall one so it evaporates without hot spots.

How do I make it vegan?

Swap the butter for the oil already offered and the whole milk for an unsweetened plant milk. The melting cheese is the harder part: the corn cream holds together on its own, but you either accept a leaner dish or use a plant alternative that melts.

Humita

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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