Vegetarian locro, Argentina

Name: Vegetarian locro
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 175 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Argentina
Ingredients: 300 g cracked white maize, soaked overnight; 200 g dried white beans, soaked overnight; 600 g butternut squash, in large cubes; 400 g sweet potato, in large cubes; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 leek, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tbsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 3 litres water or vegetable stock labelled gluten free; 100 ml olive oil; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 3 spring onions, sliced; Salt and pepper

Method

Drain the maize and beans and put them in a large pot with the water, onion, leek and garlic. Bring to the boil, then drop to a bare simmer.
Skim the surface, add the cumin and paprika, and cook covered for 90 minutes, stirring now and then so the maize does not catch.
Add the sweet potato and half the squash, season with salt, and continue uncovered for 40 minutes.
Add the remaining squash and cook 20 minutes more: the first cubes collapse and thicken the stew while the second batch stays whole.
The locro is ready when the spoon almost stands up in it; if not, reduce uncovered for a few minutes longer.
For the paprika oil, warm the olive oil gently with the chilli flakes and spring onions for 2 minutes, pulling it off the heat as soon as it sizzles.
Ladle the locro into deep bowls and spoon the hot red oil over each serving.

In Argentina locro is cooked for national holidays and shared straight from the pot. The white maize really does need a full overnight soak, or no reasonable amount of simmering will soften it.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I skip soaking the cracked white corn?

No. Dried white corn is extremely hard and no reasonable cooking time will soften it without an overnight soak: after three hours in the pot the kernels would still be chalky. The beans soak alongside it, together or separately as you prefer.

Why is the squash added in two stages?

The first half, cooked for forty minutes, breaks down completely and thickens the stew without any flour. The second, added twenty minutes from the end, stays in whole cubes. That is what gives locro its thick body studded with pieces.

How do I stop the corn catching on the bottom of the pot?

Cracked corn releases a lot of starch and sticks easily. Keep it at a gentle simmer rather than a boil, use a heavy-based pot, and stir regularly, scraping the base, throughout the first ninety minutes.

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Vegetarian locro

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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