Fried offal with humitas
6 servings
70 minutes
Fried offal with humitas is a traditional dish of Argentine cuisine that combines rich meat flavors with the gentle sweetness of corn. The carefully prepared and fried offal reveals its depth, acquiring a crispy crust and juicy center. Argentines appreciate the pure taste of meat, avoiding excessive seasonings to enjoy its natural notes. Humitas is a soft corn puree steamed and wrapped in leaves, adding a contrasting sweet softness to the dish. Historically, this recipe roots back to the gastronomic traditions of shepherds and farmers who used available ingredients to create surprisingly harmonious combinations. The dish is perfect for warm family dinners where simplicity, richness of flavor, and authenticity of Argentine cuisine are valued.
1
Some offal needs to be prepared in advance. Boil the udder and tongues for four hours with bay leaves, salt, black peppercorns, allspice, and two heads of onion (first sauté the onion a bit for aroma). The intestines are sold salted, so they need to be soaked in water for four hours, changing the water every hour, and then boiled for another three hours (well-washed fresh ones can be fried as is).
- Udder: 400 g
- Lamb tongues: 4 pieces
- Onion: 250 g
- Bay leaf: to taste
- Salt: to taste
- Black peppercorns: to taste
- Ground allspice: to taste
2
Fry the offal on a grill pan over high heat. Liver and kidneys (from lamb, to avoid smell) — two and a half minutes on each side; intestines (for convenience, they can be skewered on wooden sticks) — a couple of minutes until crispy; udder and tongue — one minute. No need to salt, just a little on the already cooked offal. But Argentinians prefer to eat them, like grilled meat, without any seasoning to not spoil the product's taste.
- Beef casings (intestines): 600 g
- Beef liver: 600 g
- Lamb kidneys: 8 pieces
- Udder: 400 g
- Lamb tongues: 4 pieces
- Salt: to taste
3
For humitas, lightly fry finely chopped remaining onion in butter, place in a blender, add corn kernels (fresh or frozen) and blend into a puree. Add cornmeal and sugar, season with salt, and mix. Line a steamer basket with parchment paper, add the corn mixture, and steam for an hour. Then wrap it in portions with corn (or banana) leaves like candies. Keep the wraps in the steamer for another five minutes.
- Onion: 250 g
- Fresh corn kernels: 500 g
- Cornmeal: 150 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Salt: to taste
- Butter: 150 g
- Corn husks: 4 pieces
4
Place the offal and humitas on a plate and serve hot.
