Ingredients
Maize
- 300 gdried white maize kernels
- or 250 g white maize flour, masa harina
- water, for soaking
To cook
- 2 litreswater
- 1 teaspoonsalt
To serve
- cooked black beans, in their broth
- chile sauce, or salsa de chile cobanero
- toasted pumpkin seeds, optional
- salt, for the table
Directions
- Rinse the dried maize and cover it deeply with water. Leave it to soak overnight until it swells. Drain it and grind it with fresh water into a slurry. Strain the slurry through a fine sieve.
- Discard the coarse hulls left in the sieve. Whisk the masa harina into cold water. Work it into a completely smooth slurry. Starting with cold water is what prevents lumps.
- Strain it through a sieve if you are unsure. Cooking it is slow and needs constant stirring. Bring the rest of the water to the boil in a heavy pot. Add the salt to the boiling water. Now pour in the maize slurry in a thin steady stream.
- Whisk hard the whole time you are pouring. Bring it back to a bare simmer. Turn the heat right down as low as it will go. Stir it continuously with a wooden spoon. Maize starch catches and scorches within seconds if left. Cook it for a full forty-five minutes. The raw starch taste must disappear completely. Add hot water if it goes too far.
- Taste it and adjust the salt again. It should be lightly salted and taste clearly of maize. Cook black beans until soft and keep them in their broth. Tinned black beans work if you have no time.
- Make a simple chile sauce with toasted dried chillies. Blend it with a little water and salt. Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan if you want them. Serving it is done hot in bowls or large cups.
- Ladle the atol into each bowl. Spoon black beans with some of their broth on top. Add a spoonful of chile sauce over that. Scatter toasted pumpkin seeds if you have them. Put extra salt and chile on the table. It keeps two days refrigerated and sets solid.
Technique
- Guatemala has many atoles, most of them sweet, and atol blanco is unusual in being savoury.
- Nixtamalisation, cooking maize with lime, is an ancient Mesoamerican process that improves both the texture and the nutritional value of the grain.
Substitutions
- Masa harina is the practical substitute for whole nixtamalised maize and is widely sold.
- Any dried chilli can be used for the sauce, though cobanero gives the Guatemalan smokiness.
Variations
- Atol de elote is the sweet version made from fresh young maize.
- Atol de haba uses broad beans and is another savoury one.
- Some stalls serve atol blanco with only salt and chile and no beans.
History
A savoury market atol of the highlands, poured from clay jars by women at street stalls since pre-Hispanic times.
Frequently asked questions
What is Atol blanco?
Atol blanco is a drink from Guatemala: unsweetened white corn atol drunk hot with black beans and chile sauce. A savoury market atol of the highlands, poured from clay jars by women at street stalls since pre-Hispanic times.
How long does Atol blanco take to make?
Atol blanco takes 15 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Atol blanco?
Yes, within limits. Masa harina is the practical substitute for whole nixtamalised maize and is widely sold. Any dried chilli can be used for the sauce, though cobanero gives the Guatemalan smokiness.
What is the most important thing to get right in Atol blanco?
Whisk hard the whole time you are pouring. Bring it back to a bare simmer. Turn the heat right down as low as it will go. Stir it continuously with a wooden spoon. Maize starch catches and scorches within seconds if left. Cook it for a full forty-five minutes. The raw starch taste must disappear completely. Add hot water if it goes too far.
