Purépecha Squash and Corn Stew (Calabaza Guisada)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10- to 12-inch clay cazuela or heavy wide skillet
• •Cast iron comal for roasting chiles and warming tortillas
• •Sharp knife for cutting fresh corn from the cob
• •Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the poblanos

   Place the chile poblanos directly on a hot comal or over a gas flame, turning until the skins blister and blacken in patches. Put them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then rub off the skins, remove the stems and seeds, and cut the flesh into strips. Do not rinse them under water. You worked for that roasted flavor, don't wash it down the drain.

   The poblano should smell green and roasted, not burned. If the flesh turns mushy, the heat was too low and you steamed it instead of blistering the skin.
2. 2

   Start the sofrito

   Heat the oil in a wide clay cazuela or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the white onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until it softens but does not brown. Add the garlic and chile serrano and cook for 1 minute more. The smell should be sharp and green, the smell of a Mexican kitchen waking up.

3. 3

   Cook the tomato

   Add the chopped Roma tomatoes and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they collapse and the oil begins to show at the edges. This is the guiso base. If the tomato stays watery, the stew will taste thin. Let it cook down until it looks like it belongs to the pan.

4. 4

   Add squash and corn

   Stir in the calabacita, fresh corn kernels, roasted poblano strips, salt, and epazote. Cover the cazuela and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the squash is just tender. Do not drown it in water. The squash and tomato release their own liquid. That small broth is the point.

5. 5

   Fold in beans

   Add the cooked flor de mayo beans or bayos with 1/2 cup of their broth. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes so the bean broth thickens the guiso and carries the epazote through the pot. Taste for salt now. Beans are quiet until you season them correctly.

6. 6

   Finish with blossoms

   Lay the torn squash blossoms over the top and fold them in gently. Cook for 2 minutes, just until they wilt. Squash blossoms are delicate. If you cook them hard, they disappear and you have wasted good market money. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.

7. 7

   Serve with tortillas

   Spoon the stew into a warm green-glazed Michoacán cazuela or shallow clay bowls. Serve with lime wedges, salsa de chile peron or salsa verde, and hot corn tortillas from the comal. This is not a side dish pretending to be useful. With beans and tortillas, it is a complete meal. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Use Mexican calabacita if you can find it. Small zucchini is the compromise. Big watery zucchini from the supermarket will work, but salt it lightly and let it sit for 10 minutes, then pat it dry before cooking.
• •Squash blossoms are seasonal. If the market doesn't have them, don't buy sad plastic-box flowers. Make the stew with extra corn and a handful of quelites or tender spinach. Cook what the market is selling today.
• •Chile peron is used in Michoacán and gives a fruity heat that belongs to the region. If you cannot find it for the salsa, use chile serrano. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •This dish is vegan because the milpa already knows how to feed you. Do not add cream to make it richer. Do not bury it under cheese. Warm tortillas and good beans do the work.

Advance Preparation

• •The poblano chiles can be roasted, peeled, and cut into strips one day ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator.
• •Cook the flor de mayo beans or bayos up to three days ahead and save their broth. Canned beans are usable, but their broth is thin, so rinse them and add 1/2 cup water instead.
• •Do not add squash blossoms ahead of time. They go in at the end, right before serving, or they lose their texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 355g)