5 places that serve succulent dishes to eat with a spoon and beat the cold
The word reminds us of winter dishes, of smoke, of a spoon, of shelter from the cold. We say that locro or a soup is "succulent." The etymology couldn't be more precise: succulentus comes from succus (juice) and the suffix lentus (abundance). From our traditional locro to Peruvian fish soups and curries, spoon dishes are the stars of these months. Some restaurants pay tribute to those juices, that abundance.
“We take care of every detail and the exact seasoning level,” says Eduardo Massa Alcántara, known simply as Cabito, the comedian and chef who owns Mondongo y Coliflor , a restaurant located in Parque Chacabuco that pays homage to succulents . Cabito talks about tripe stew, one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. “We’re very particular about the bite point of the tripe; we boil the meat parts (legs, pork, etc.) separately because they have different cooking points. We also add the tail because we really like the collagen in it. That makes it delicious,” says Cabito, who staunchly defends a dish that others denigrate.
“The place is called Mondongo y Colifor,” he adds, “because they're two things you either love or hate. Many people avoid mondongo because of their childhood memories; it used to be made not only with tripe but also with the librillo and bonnet, which have a more intense flavor and are harder to digest. But it's a very noble food, good for your health and not as fattening as people think.”
In Chacarita, Abreboca pays tribute to winter and traditional dishes with a sweet potato pie filled with ossobuco, onions, bell peppers, and cuartirolo cheese. “It's a twist on the potato pie. We make it with sweet potato to take advantage of the season. Then, we finish it in the oven with a little sugar, then brown it to form a caramel that enhances the sweet potato flavor,” the restaurant says.
On special occasions, they also make locro, using an original recipe from Tucumán, as chef Leonardo Govetto Sosa is from that province. At Jardín de la República, it's made with pumpkin, which isn't as easy to find in Buenos Aires. "We replace it with cabutia, which adds that characteristic creaminess that distinguishes this version. It's slow-cooked, lasting between 5 and 6 hours, which reflects the restaurant's philosophy: to celebrate by taking the time necessary, both to cook and to share."
The Puchero restaurant in Villa Luro also focuses on sweet potatoes, with a casserole of this sweet tuber that comes with braised pork shoulder and a melted cheese center. Everything is cooked slowly with beer and spices.
It's not just the local cuisine that offers iconic dishes to eat with a spoon and restore your winter spirit. Peruvian cuisine is rich in soups, stews, and chupes. At Grau Cebichería in Abasto, one of the most popular dishes is the shrimp chupe. "Our cuisine is rich in succulent dishes like stew and parihuela. In Grau, the signature dish is the shrimp chupe. It's based on yellow chili pepper, rice, huacatay, and shrimp tossed in anticuchera sauce. It comes with a poached egg," says Raúl Zorrilla Porta, the restaurant's chef.
One can't talk about Peruvian cuisine without mentioning Gastón Acurio. In Buenos Aires, his elegant restaurant La Mar , in Palermo, offers two classics: arroz chupete and la parihuela. The former is a delicacy cooked in shrimp broth with perfectly tender prawns. La Fiesta de la Parihuela—as advertised on the menu—is a succulent soup with crab, seafood, and the fish of the day.
With Asian influences but using ingredients from different regions of Argentina, Gran Dabbang always has a curry on its menu to combat the cold with spicy flavors. One is lamb with Creole chili, oranges, and aguaribay. And the other is the house favorite: duck curry with panka chili, cane honey, and paratas.
Dishes from Spain and France also have a long tradition in traditional recipes. The Centro Asturiano de Monserrat offers its classic Asturian fabada, while Gontran Cherrier pays tribute to French cuisine, featuring some imported products from that country. One of the winter treasures is the Bœuf bourguignon, which combines beef, smoked bacon, mushrooms, Burgundy wine, onion, and carrot. All cooked slowly to achieve a deep flavor that lingers on the palate. It has branches in Palermo, Belgrano, Recoleta, and Olivos.
lanacion
