Tea Time at Los Pots...

Locro

A dish which originates from the La Rioja province in the Andes, due to the climate for growing olives, figs, fruit, and quince. The abundance of these ingredients, combined with the large number of Italian and Lebanese immigrants has resulted in a variety of filling and flavourful dishes, including Locro. Traditionally eaten on May 1st to celebrate the day of the worker, May 25th in honour of the 1810 revolution or on the 9th of July which is Argentina’s Independence Day.

Serves 6

375g white maize

275g fava beans

1kg meat (beef or pork - typically a combination of both)

200g pancetta

4 carrots and 1/2 a butternut squash

2 tsps parsley diced

4 bay leaves

3 tsp butter or fat

2 white onions diced 

2 red onions

2 garlic cloves

1tsp cumin

1tbs chilli flakes

1tbs paprika

Soak the dried maize and fava beans overnight or throughout the day.

Cook in a pan of water with a stock cube. 

Fry the meat with pancetta, and half the carrot/butternut squash. 

Puree the rest in the blender and add as a liquid to the meat. Season with salt, pepper and the bay leaf. 

Cook for an hour adding one litre of water into the pan, ensure it remains with sufficient liquid and does not dry out. Add more where necessary to ensure the dish remains stew-like. 

Before serving incorporate the maize and fava beans. 

Make the sauce - a highlight of the dish - sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil and the fat, then add the seasonings. Add more chilli to make it spicy.

Typically in Argentina the accompanying sauce is not that spicy, but even when mild it  brings together the flavours of the dish. 

Pizza a la Parrilla

This is a Los Potreros speciality, the smoky taste of the pizza base from cooking outside on the parrilla combined with four different cheeses from Argentina and a rich tomato sauce is a speciality and one of our most popular lunches. Alongside making it a meal, we often use it as a ‘picada’ before an asado.

Serves 6

375ml tomato passata

Fresh basil and oregano

150g cheddar cheese, grated

150g blue cheese, crumbled

150g mozzarella

150g additional hard cheese (we use an unaged Parmesan)

2tsp dried oregano

2tsp chilli flakes

2 garlic, chopped

2 onions, diced

2tsp dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

450ml warm water

600g 00 flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 tsp salt

2tbs olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/390ºF or light your fire if you are cooking on a grill or outdoor pizza oven.

To make the dough combined the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture with olive oil, and the warm water and knead for around 10 minutes until the dough is sticky and smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. If the dough is to sticky add more flour or water if it becomes to dry.

Using floured hands, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel and leave to sit for an hour until it has doubled in size.

Whilst you are waiting for the dough to prove, make the sauce by sautéing the garlic, onions and then adding the tomato passata, herbs and allow to cook through. Grate the cheese and leave to sit out of the fridge, this will help them to cook a little faster.

Divide the dough into two portions, on a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch out the dough to form a large thin circular or rectangle shape Transfer onto a lightly floured baking tray and repeat with the second.

If you are cooking on an outside grill, ensure you have plenty of coals and rub some olive oil into the dough to. make sure it does not stick and cook on each side. If you are cooking in the oven place the baking tray in the hot oven and flip the dough over as it starts to colour. This will happen quite quickly if the oven is hot! Otherwise transfer the dough into the pizza oven and allow the dough to go golden on each side. Remove from the oven and spread the tomato passata over the base and sprinkle with cheese and any remaining herbs. Argentines often add parma ham, onion or fresh olives as toppings. Once you have topped according to taste cook again long enough for the cheese to melt.

April in the Kitchen

Fig Jam

Makes 3 jars

1kg figs (stems cut off, cut rest into 1/2 inch pieces, leave skin on)

350g caster sugar

60ml lemon juice

120ml water

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Add figs and sugar to a heavy sauce pan.

Heat on a medium heat for 15 minutes. The sugar should be almost dissolved. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to pan.

Add the water and both lemon juices. Heat on the same temperature for 30 minutes. Again, stir occasionally.

Add to sterilised jars when still hot.

Tips and tricks:

Avoid scaling up and putting in the same pan, as burning the pan is very easy.

To sterilise jars:

1. Put jars (without lids) into the oven on a high heat for 10 mins

2. Take out the jars, one at a time and fill to the top

3. Wipe the lids with alcohol to sterilise and screw onto the filled jar

4. Turn jar upside for 24 hours to properly seal

Lemon, Ginger & Mint Lemonade

3 Lemons or Limes, peeled

1/2 root of ginger

2 tsp honey

Sugar and Water - added to taste

In a food processor blitz the lemons and ginger with a splash of hot water and two teaspoons of honey until it makes a paste, add a splash more water.

Sieve into a jug over ice and top with water, add sugar according to taste.

Serve cold with sprigs of fresh mint.

January in the Los Pots Kitchen

Milanesas

Milanesas are simple but delicious, and found across Argentina - a thin slice of marinated beef, fried in hot oil and served with a variety of accompaniments. Every Argentine will tell you that the best milanesas are found at home cooked by their mothers! The dish is similar to an Austrian schnitzel but the roots of the milanesa stem’s back to Italy and more specifically Milan and the famous “Cotoletta alla Milanese”. The most simple version is served with a squeeze of lemon juice, and a side of creamy mashed potatoes or french fries, but it can often be served a caballo (on horseback) where a fried egg is served on top of the meat or a milanesa a la napolitana, which has a topping of tomato salsa, ham, and mozzarella cheese.

Serves 6

900g rump beef, thinly sliced (1 cm thick)

2 eggs, beaten

450g breadcrumbs

2 garlic cloves, diced

3 tbsp parsley, chopped

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Salt and Pepper

Slice the beef into cm thick steaks.

Cut off all the fat and trim the cutlets.

Tenderise the meat with a mallet until it is half a cm thick.

Whisk the eggs with chopped garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. 

Marinade the meat in the egg mixture for at least half an hour, storing them in the fridge during the process. 

Pour the oil into a deep frying pan and heat it up until a cube of bread dropped in starts to fry immediately. 

Coat the beef in breadcrumbs and fry them on both sides and then place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

* They are traditionally served with a mixture of the following; french fries, mash potato, green salad, coleslaw or in a bread roll with tomatoes, lettuce and mustard. 

Fig Chutney

This is the perfect recipe to use unripe figs combined with ripe figs. Ensure you cook them for long enough to soften.

100g light brown soft sugar

100ml apple cider vinegar

50ml balsamic vinegar

300g chopped fresh figs

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 onion, finely chopped

2 sprigs of thyme

1 tsp flaky sea salt

Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer for 1 hour, stir the pan occasionally to ensure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Once the mixture has become sticky and jam-like, remove from the heat and place into sterilised jars with the lids tightly closed. 

Turn the jars upside down and leave for 48 hours. 

Summer Fruit Sponge Cake

Afternoon tea first started to become popular in Argentina during the 19th century, it is thought that the  British immigrants brought  with them the tradition. In the melting pot of Buenos Aires, and with strong Italian and Spanish influences, this soon morphed into the very Argentine custom of “Merienda”, which is a tradition we on the estancia enjoy every afternoon before we head out for a beautiful afternoon ride. Our chefs take turns to delight us with delicious biscuits and cakes and one of our favourite summer cakes is a simple victoria sponge topped with fruits straight from the orchard at Loza. 

200g caster sugar

200g softened butter

4 eggs, beaten

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

100g butter, softened

140g icing sugar, sifted

Vanilla extract

Strawberry jam 

Heat oven to 190ºC/370ºF.

Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper.

In a large bowl, beat caster sugar, softened butter, beaten eggs, self-raising flour, baking powder and milk together until you have a smooth, soft batter.

Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.

Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the filling, beat 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract.

Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges. Top it with strawberry jam or layers of fresh fruit sliced up and placed in a thin layer and sandwich the second sponge on top.

Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. 

Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.

Guindado

This year with a little more time on our hands we searched across the estancia and harvested an abundance of wild cherries. With the time to make something special we set about making “Guindado”, using a recipe which has been passed down in the Begg family for generations. Guindado is a liquor of sour cherries, sugar and a liquor (typically brandy but we use a locally sourced gin).

500ml gin

600g cherries 

4 tbsp caster sugar

Stone your cherries and pack them into the jar.

Add the sugar and stir well. 

Pour in the gin and seal the jar.

Shake well and put away in a cool dark cupboard for about 2 months.

Shake the jar occasionally.

Pour through a sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth/muslin or paper towels to remove the cherries. 

Maga beginning the task of de-stoning the cherries.

Quince Jelly and Dulce de Membrillo

Inside all bakeries in Argentina, there are glass display cases overflowing with coconut-rimmed tarts filled with glistening, red jam. These are all made using 'dulce de membrillo’, which is a quince paste.  The Begg’s fondly remember their grandmother, making quince jelly and paste at Potrero de Niz when they were children. Tying a tea towel around the legs of a chair she would construct a sieve to drain the quince separating the paste from the jelly. Inedible raw quinces look like a cross between a pear and a golden apple, once cooked they turn sweet, with a vibrant red colour and have an incredible floral smell and taste. 

Quince Jelly

1.5kg quince, chopped roughly

1 lemon, zest peeled into strips, juiced

900g sugar 

Put the quince and lemon peel and juice in a large, deep saucepan. Cover with water (you'll need about 3 litres) and bring to the boil. 

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes until the quince is very soft.

Line a colander with muslin cloth and put over a very large saucepan or heatproof bowl. Tip the quince into the lined colander, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to strain for 4-8 hrs until all the juice has dripped out. 

Keep the pulp for making ‘dulce de membrillo’. Measure out the strained juice and transfer to a large, deep saucepan (the jelly will bubble up high as it cooks). Add 500g sugar for every 600ml juice. Bring to the boil over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. 

Bring to a rapid bubble and cook until the temperature reaches 105ºC/221ºF on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and ladle into hot sterilized jars and seal.  

Dulce de Membrillo 

Making membrillo is extremely easy. 

Take the quince pulp from the jelly and blend until smooth. Weigh the puree then put it in a large pot. Add an equal amount of granulated sugar to the mixture and place over a low heat. Stir the mixture constantly at first to dissolve the sugar, keep cooking until the mixture becomes thick (approx 1-2 hours). Once the mixture has thickened, it will stick to a wood spoon. 

Line a baking dish or lightly grease before pouring in the quince mixture. Allow the paste to cool, before placing in the oven on the lowest heat, dry the paste out (this can take up to three hours, if it has not set keep it in the oven checking it regularly). The surface should be glossy and not sticky to touch. Put the dish in the fridge and refrigerate overnight. 

Argentine Wines

Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. 

Argentina is a vast producer of wine and so throughout your stay in the country you are likely to try a number of different wines from different regions. Large areas of fertile vineyards stretch along the foothills of the Andes dotted with more than 3,000 wineries. The vineyards are based almost entirely on European grape varieties. The region is blessed with a combination of plentiful water from snow melt, sandy harsh soil, a dry a climate with year-round sunshine, which makes for enormous yields.

Cordoba has a wine growing tradition that goes back some centuries. Records show that 10,000 vines were planted the year after the foundation of Cordoba in 1574. The wine cellar of the Jesus Maria Jesuit farm was the largest in the Spanish colony of the River Plate. From this cellar, the very first bottle of wine from the Spanish Americas was sent to the king in Spain. This wine was christened "Lagrimilla" (tear drops), which we still drink as a dessert wine at Los Potreros today!

Wine production in Cordoba had a second wind when immigrants arrived from the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in northern Italy. They founded "Colonia Caroya" in 1878 only 50 kilometers from Cordoba city in the heart of the old Jesuit country. The spirit of those pioneers still continues, as do some of their traditions and dialects.

Today riders, drivers, walkers and birdwatchers alike all enjoy the Cordoba wine produced by   Bodega La Caroyense among others. Trying the different wines of the region is great fun; La Caroyense offers us history, Bodega La Matilde organic and biodynamic wines, Terra Camiare fresh modern wines.

The popularity of Malbec and Torrontes grape varieties is now spreading all over the world and the Beggs are always keen to share informal wine-tastings with their guests. Mendoza, Cafayate and the end of the world, Patagonia, just but a few options at the Los Potreros table.  

Summer in the Kitchen - Part 2

As the summer stretches on we begin to harvest the figs - found across the estancia from our cattle station to the garden at Potrero de Niz. Whilst they are sweet they work perfectly with cheese, meat and other savoury foods. This year we have made lots of fig jams and chutney and with the final harvest we are going to try out hand a honey poached fig with orange and spices.  

The quince is always the last fruit of the orchard to ripen, when they turn a golden yellow, and omit a floral scent, you know it is time to get picking. To preserve the quince we looked at lots of different ideas and followed the Mediterranean influence of cooking the quinces in a sweet syrup to be enjoyed on our homemade yoghurt or even on fresh cheeses like labneh (something Kevin has been learning to prepare). 

Of course, there is nothing more Argentine and traditional than making quince jelly and membrillo, which go together hand in hand. First you make the quince jelly, boiling the fruit with sugar and allowing the colour to turn from yellow to a rich reddish pink. Following in the footsteps of Louie Begg, we separate the quince through a sieve constructed by a chair turned upside down and a tea-towel tied around the legs. This divides the quince jelly from the quince paste (the membrillo). 

In the coming weeks the walnuts will be falling from the trees and the  artichokes “topinambur” will be ready to be dug up and stored for the winter. Throughout the year there is always something to do and ways to save the fresh produce for the months ahead. We are looking forward to continuing this research into preserving foods and how we can learn to use nature to help us in reducing our overall carbon footprint. 

Summer in the Kitchen - Part 1

In the winter most of our fruit trees are dormant waiting for the spring and the first rains of the year, then they burst into life and by summer we have an abundance of produce marked by the sprouting of the wild asparagus on the hills.  

“Pick, prepare, preserve” is our ethos over summer. Our chefs are working hard on finding delicious new ways to preserve the harvest from the summer months to last us into the winter. 

In previous posts we have talked about our new efforts of smoking meats and this has been a great success and a step in the right direction. We are constantly finding new solutions. Throughout the last few months we focused on picking vegetables, preserving in flavoured oil alongside making jams, jellies and chutneys to last into the winter.

This year, like many years before we have had a bumper harvest of aubergines and have made “escabeche” or pickled aubergine a traditional antipasti, flavoured with chilli flakes, garlic and bay leafs.

The orchard at Loza is filled with plums, peaches and apricots and wild cherries. We began by filling jars with wild cherries and sugar to make a cherry brandy, that will be ready in just a few weeks time after three months of brewing. The ‘guindado’ is traditionally made with brandy but our estancia recipe has always used locally sourced gin. 

The soft summer fruits have been used in jams, poached in red wine and amaretto, or fruit compotes for topping yoghurt. 

We foraged the trees from the waterfall to pick the Mirabelles (a sweet yellow plum). The apples from Los Melados have also been turned into a vast array of jams.  

Pan Dulce

One of our favourite sweet breads is ‘Pan Dulce’ and it is the perfect accompaniment to some Argentine cheese and is often cooked at our evenings in the kitchen. Typically we use dark muscovado sugar, which is a cane sugar containing molasses - the reason behind its dark colour and texture which resembles wet sand. 

500g Self Raising Flour

1 Egg

25g Butter

Cup of Mate Cocido Tea

75g Dark Muscovado Sugar

150g of Dried Fruit

75g Almonds

75g Hazelnuts

Mix all the dry ingredients except the flour. 

Add butter and egg, mix with hands throughly. 

Add flour and tea accordingly to make the mixture into a dough, it is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands. 

Once the dough is ready, form it and place on a baking tray which is sprinkled with a little flour to ensure it does not stick during the cooking process. 

Cook in oven of 180ºC/355ºF until a skewer comes out clean. 

This usually takes around 20 minutes.

Pasta

Across the country menus feature a variety of pasta dishes that the Italian immigrants of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century brought with them. The rolling of the pasta dough is a true art and it is always a delight to see our chefs effortlessly rolling out the dough to make anything from lasagne sheets to fresh raviolis or spaghetti. 

Follow the link for our basic pasta dough recipe and why not try making out sorrentino’s.

Choripan

Here in Argentina, summer is almost upon us and one of our favourite lunchtime meals is Choripan. Arriving at our cattle station, Chiviquin, the smell of wood burning and the distinct sound of sausages grilling the gauchos are cooking lunch. Choripan is an Argentine street food staple, cooked on the 7 Fuegos or a hot grill plate and served in crusty french bread with a vast array of condiments. 

Traditionally an Argentine chorizo which is more like an English or US sausage made of a combination of pork, beef and pork fat is sandwiched with crusty french bread, tomato and lettuce, then topped with a varied combination of condiments including chimichurri.