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1
Shuck the Corn and Save the Husks
15 mins
Room temperature
Peel the husks back from each ear carefully, keeping them in one piece, and pull off the silk. Set the 8-10 largest, cleanest husks aside for wrapping, and tear a few smaller ones into thin strips for tying. Stand each cob in a wide bowl and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife, working downwards in strips.
Do this over a wide bowl: kernels fly everywhere if you cut them on a flat board.
Done when: 800 g of kernels stripped; 8-10 large husks and tying strips ready.
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2
Cook the Onion, Pepper and Squash
10 mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F) pan surface
Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat, about 160°C (320°F). Add the onion and red pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and sweet-smelling, then add the grated squash, paprika and cumin and cook for 3-4 minutes more until the squash softens. Season lightly and take off the heat.
Do not brown the onion: humita should taste sweet and gentle, and browned onion turns it bitter.
Done when: Vegetables soft, sweet and glossy, not browned.
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3
Blend the Corn and Fold in the Cheese
10 mins
Room temperature
Put the corn kernels and milk in a food processor and pulse in short bursts until you have a thick, slightly chunky paste — stop while some whole kernels remain. Scrape into a bowl and fold in the cooked vegetables, diced queso fresco, basil, sugar and salt. The mixture should be soft and spoonable, holding its shape on a spoon.
Pulse, do not run the processor continuously: 6-8 short pulses are enough, and you can always pulse once more.
Done when: Thick, spoonable paste with visible kernels and melted-in cheese.
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4
Fill and Tie the Husk Parcels
15 mins
Room temperature
Lay two husks overlapping on the work surface, shiny side up, and spoon about 200 g of the corn mixture into the middle. Fold the sides over the filling, then fold the top and bottom in to make a neat rectangular parcel and tie it with a strip of husk. Repeat to make 8 parcels, about 200 g each.
Do not overfill: a parcel that is too fat bursts open in the steamer, and the filling leaks into the water.
Done when: 8 firm, neatly tied parcels, none leaking.
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5
Steam Until Set
35 mins
Steaming, 100°C (212°F)
Set a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water, about 100°C (212°F), with salted water below the basket. Pack the parcels in snugly, cover tightly and steam for 30-35 minutes, topping up the water if it runs low, until the parcels feel firm and the corn mixture inside is set and hot all the way through.
Keep the lid on and the water at a steady boil: lifting the lid lets the steam out and the humitas take much longer to set.
Done when: Parcels firm to the touch; filling set, not runny.
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6
Rest and Serve
5 mins
Room temperature
Lift the parcels out, rest them for 5 minutes, then serve two per person in their husks, opened at the table like a present. Offer a tomato salad and aji sauce alongside.
Serve them in the husk: it keeps them hot, it is how they are eaten, and opening one at the table is half the pleasure.
Done when: Hot, firm and fragrant when opened.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Open each humita at the table, spoon a little aji sauce over the golden corn cake inside, and eat it warm with a tomato salad.
Argentina
1h 25m
