Humitas

Ingredients

Corn

• 10 earsof fresh sweetcorn, in their husks

Base

• 3 tbspbutter or lard
• 1large onion, very finely chopped
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1/2 tspground cumin
• salt and pepper

Chilean flavouring

• a large handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

To bind, if needed

• 2 tbspfine cornmeal
• 3 tbspmilk

To serve

• caster sugar, to sprinkle
• or a tomato and onion salad

Equipment

• kitchen string or strips of husk

Directions

1. Peel the husks back from each ear carefully and pull them off intact. Keep the largest and widest ones, which will be the wrappers.
2. Keep some narrow ones to tear into strips for tying. Rinse the husks and set them aside, keeping them damp. Pull all the silk off the cobs and discard it. Stand each cob upright in a large bowl. Slice down the length with a heavy knife to take the kernels off. That corn milk is what binds the paste, so do not lose it.
3. Grind it to a thick coarse paste with some texture remaining. It should not be a smooth liquid puree. Melt the butter in a wide pan over a medium-low heat. Add the very finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook it for twelve minutes until completely soft and sweet. The onion must be soft, since a crunchy piece ruins the texture.
4. Stir in the paprika and cumin and cook for one minute. Now combining, which is done in the pan. Add the corn paste to the onion and stir it through. Cook it over a low heat for eight minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the chopped basil and season well with salt and pepper. Take it off the heat and let it cool for ten minutes. The paste should hold a heap on a spoon without spreading. Stir in the cornmeal and milk if it is loose and runny. Let it stand five minutes after adding cornmeal so it can swell.
6. Lay two husks overlapping, wide ends together, to make a broad sheet. Spoon two heaped tablespoons of paste into the centre. Fold the two long sides in over the filling, overlapping them.
7. Fold the top and bottom ends up to make a closed parcel. Tie it around the middle with string or a strip of husk. Tie it firmly enough to hold but not so tight that it squeezes out. Repeat with the rest, and pack them side by side as you go.
8. Line the base of a large pot with spare husks and cobs. This raises the humitas off the bottom and stops them scorching. Pour in water to just below the level of the husks. Stack the parcels upright, packed against each other.
9. Bring it to the boil, cover it, and lower the heat. Steam them for forty-five minutes. Top up with boiling water if the pot threatens to run dry. Now checking, which is done by feel.
10. Lift one out and let it cool for two minutes. Open a corner and the paste should be set and firm, not wet. Serve them in their husks and let people open their own. Sprinkle them with sugar, which is one camp’s answer. Either way they are eaten hot, straight out of the husk.

Technique

• Save the corn milk when scraping the cobs, since it binds the paste.
• Chop the onion very finely and cook it soft, as a crunchy piece ruins the texture.
• Line the pot with spare husks so the parcels do not scorch on the bottom.

Substitutions

• Fine cornmeal to firm the paste if the corn is very sweet and wet.
• Baking parchment and foil in place of husks, if you buy loose corn.

Variations

• Peruvian humitas, sweet, with raisins and no basil.
• Argentine humita en chala, with cheese folded through.
• Baked in a dish as humita a la olla rather than wrapped.

History

Fresh corn paste steamed in its own husks, an Andean preparation eaten in summer with sugar or a tomato salad.

Frequently asked questions

What is Humitas?

Humitas is a snack from Chile: seasoned fresh-corn paste tied in husks and steamed. Fresh corn paste steamed in its own husks, an Andean preparation eaten in summer with sugar or a tomato salad.

How long does Humitas take to make?

Humitas takes 45 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 10 humitas. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Humitas?

Yes, within limits. Fine cornmeal to firm the paste if the corn is very sweet and wet. Baking parchment and foil in place of husks, if you buy loose corn.

What is the most important thing to get right in Humitas?

Keep some narrow ones to tear into strips for tying. Rinse the husks and set them aside, keeping them damp. Pull all the silk off the cobs and discard it. Stand each cob upright in a large bowl. Slice down the length with a heavy knife to take the kernels off. That corn milk is what binds the paste, so do not lose it.