South American Butternut Squash Stew

Manami's Note:

This iconic South American stew, called locro, is the perfect hearty winter meal when served with hot crusty bread. Roasted squash seeds add crunch.Locro (from the Quechua ruqru) is a hearty thick stew popular along the Andes mountain range. The dish is a common plate for the Peruvian cuisine, which at one point held the center of the Inca empire. It is also one of the most typical Argentine dishes prepared by the different native Indian tribes at a time of the Spanish conquest. Its origin dates to before the Spanish colonial times. Locro at the table, with quiquirimichi and bread.The defining ingredients are corn, some form of meat (usually beef, but sometimes beef jerky or chorizo), and vegetables. Other ingredients vary widely, and typically include onion, beans, squash or pumpkin. It is mainly eaten in winter and is therefore has a greater caloric value. In Argentina it spread from the Cuyo region to the rest of the country. It is considered a national dish and is often served on May 25, the anniversary of the May Revolution. Recipe CuisineAtHome Magazine, Issue 79, February 2010 edition. Locro being served at Simoca market, ArgentinaIn some parts, such as in the Santiago del Estero Province of Argentina, a red hot sauce made from red peppers and paprika known as quiquirimichi is served on the side.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 35 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 12.0 cups

• 4 lbs butternut squash (7-8 cups diced)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lb link Italian sausage or 1 lb chorizo sausage, casing removed
• 4 cups sliced onions
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes with juice (1 14.50 oz can)
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced frech oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 lb gren beans, stems removed and halved
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

GARNISH

• crumbled feta cheese or crumbled Cotija cheese
• roasted suash seeds

Directions:

1. Peel squash using a potato peeler.
2. Cut squash in half; remove seeds and reserve to roast.
3. Dice squash flesh into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pot over medium heat.
5. Add sausage; cook breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon, until sausage is brown on allsides, about 10 minutes.
6. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
7. Stir in squash, tomatoes, broth, jalapeo, oregano, and smoked paprika.
8. Partially cover pot; reduce heat to medium low.
9. Cook stew, stirring occasionally, until squash is almost tender, about 20 minutes.
10. Add beans and corn.
11. Partially cover pot, cook 10 minutes longer.
12. Stir in cilantro.
13. Season stew with salt & pepper. (Serve hot sauce on the side).
14. TO ROAST SQUASH SEEDS:.
15. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
16. Line a baking sheer with parchment paper.
17. Rinse reserved seeds to remove any fibrous strands.
18. Dry seeds with paper towels.
19. Toss seeds with1 T extra-virgin olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
20. Roast seeds on prepared baking sheet for 15 minutes.
21. GARNISH:.
22. Crumbled feta cheese or Cotija cheese.
23. Roasted squash seeds.

Reviews

[Greeny4444]

I was actually going to make this two nights ago, so I had done all the prepwork. Then something came up, and I had to store everything in the fridge until the next night. With all the cutting and whatnot done, this was a breeze to put together! This has great flavor and color. I used cooked turkey sausage, which I sliced on a bias. I only used half the amount of oil, and my onion was a HUGE honker, so I only used one onion (probably about 3 cups or so of sliced onion). It didn't say when to add the onion, so I just put it in when I put in the sausage. I used dried oregano, and omitted the cilantro, because I rarely have it in the house. We didn't think it needed salt or pepper at the end - it was pretty spicy from the jalapeno. My husband was looking for some kind of sauce to put on it (he usually puts sauces on stuff), but he didn't feel that it needed anything! This is a keeper for us, and I'm sending this to my mom, with hopes that my veggie-averse stepdad and stepbrother will like it as well. Thanks for posting this!

[jefechip]

have made this stew on a few occasions to rave reviews.Around my home this recipe has received the designation of "KEEPER",the highest honor. The ingredients at first were suspect
but come together for a very tasty and hearty meal. The only.reason that i didn't give it 5 stars is
because of the prep time.