I first ran into humita at a restaurant called Grand-ma’s House near Mendoza, Argentina, and was delighted at its richness and delicate flavors. In subsequent days eating at a variety of restaurants, I saw that humita—a mild and tender preparation made with freshly grated corn kernels—is a national dish in Argentina, often accompanying great portions of grilled beef.

Under different names, humita is known throughout the Americas, especially Spanish America. A sweetened version is preferred in the northwestern parts of Argentina and is made with cheese, onions, lard, and sugar and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, or anise. But the following is my favorite.

Even though they are not edible, the corn husks (called chalas in Argentina) enhance the fresh corn aroma of the humita; they are the main seasoning for this very special dish.

SERVINGS

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

12 ears corn in their husks

Salt

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon anise seeds

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove husks from the corn and add them to the pot along with 1 teaspoon salt, and blanch for 3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, drain the husks, and reserve.

2.    Prepare corn kernels as follows: Cut kernels off cobs. Squeeze remaining corn milk out of cobs with the back of a knife, or slice down through the rows of kernels of a few of the ears with a sharp knife and then scrape out the milk and flesh with the back of a knife, then slice off the remaining kernels. Place this in a blender and whiz to a grainy consistency, not a fine puree.

3.    In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the milk. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

4.    In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, or until translucent and softened. Add the cumin, anise seeds, the corn puree, and milk with dissolved cornstarch in it. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until mixture thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat, stir in brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

5.    Butter or oil a Dutch oven with a heavy lid and carefully line it all the way around inside with the

parboiled husks, first the sides and then the bottom. Use scissors to trim husks for the bottom to fit the pot’s dimension. Husks on the sides must be placed with the pointed ends upwards, so they can later be folded over the top of the humita. Pour the humita into the husk-lined pot, fold the pointed husk ends over the top of the mixture and cover completely with additional husks. Place the lid on the pot and bake for about 11/2 hours, until the humita is tender and fluffed up.

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