The giant pot simmered, wafting intoxicating aromas throughout the house. I breathed deeply to savor the aura of steaming clams and mussels, basting chicken, sausages, potatoes, vegetables, and fresh herbs. Plump savory dumplings bubbled on the top of the pot, promising unimaginable pleasures. Alas, for me the pleasure was not to be.
Maria Elena Bartsch spent hours preparing this fabulous meal. A Smithsonian tour director, Maria Elena invited us, her last flock of the year, to her house in Puerto Varas, Chile, for an authentic Chilean dinner.
The dish she prepared, called “curanto,” may be one of the oldest dishes in all of the Americas. Loosely translated, curanto means “stony ground.” Long before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, the indigenous peoples of Patagonia created this fantastic clam bake in a deep, in-ground cooking pit. They lined the pit with stones, and then built a wood fire to heat the stones. After covering the stones with rhubarb leaves, they layered in the meats, shellfish, vegetables, and potato dumplings, called “chapaleles.” Covering the pit with wet leaves, they steamed it for hours over the hot stones.
Maria Elena cooked her masterpiece in a big pot in the kitchen instead of an outside pit. Stones stilled played a roll, keeping the pot lid in place while the bountiful dish steamed. While we waited, the Chilean wine flowed. I’d discovered a new favorite — lush, ruby Carmenere, which warms the heart and lingers on the tongue.
Finally, the denouement. Layer by layer, Maria Elena dished out the curanto to her breathlessly waiting guests. Sighs and moans accompanied each bite. Smiling, Maria Elena set a specially prepared dish in front of me. Flatbread topped with local cheeses, tomatoes, and sautéed herbs. At any other time, I would have been delighted. Watching others devour the mountain of meats and vegetables and especially those little dumplings, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for myself. My shellfish allergy had never seemed as cruel as it did this night.
Clay, Thank you so much for documenting this fabulous dining event at Maria Elena’s home, and for verifying the name of the dish. I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced this trip, from beginning to end. Carol Budzinski
It is about 9 a.m. and I am not hungry but my mouth is watering. Look at it this way, Clay: you can enjoy that great wine.