Hispanic Heritage · República Dominicana

El Sur

San Juan de la Maguana · Las Matas de Farfán · Elías Piña · Azua · Barahona · Neiba

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Chenchén con habichuelas guisadas

Descubre

The Dominican south offers chenchén, cracked corn cooked into a savory accompaniment. Paired here with stewed beans, it opens a conversation about grain, texture, and the many forms a staple can take.

La Gente

Watch the corn as it absorbs liquid and softens. It should feel satisfying on the spoon, with enough moisture to welcome the beans. Coconut and seasoning give this version its own character without asking the grain to disappear.

Sabor

The south is savory corn, coconut, and beans, with a little more heat than the rest of the island. Garlic and oregano still carry the seasoning, but the coconut milk in the pot and the chile in the goat make this a kitchen you can pick out with your eyes closed.

Spice DNA · Sweet low · Herb medium · Heat medium · Acid low · Smoke medium

Seasonings to explore

Minced Garlic in Olive Oil. In the chenchén pot and the beans.
Oregano, whole. In the beans and on the goat.
Sazón with Coriander and Annatto. For the beans that go over the corn.
Adobo with Pepper. On the meat.
Crushed Red Pepper. The southern goat is picante. A pinch, then taste.
Bay leaves, whole. One in the beans.

From your market: cracked corn (maíz caquiao, sold in Latin markets and as coarse cracked hominy), a can of coconut milk, evaporated milk, butter, red beans, and a piece of auyama for the beans. The goat recipe is on the Cibao page. Add the crushed red pepper and you have the southern version.

Cocina

Chenchén con habichuelas guisadas

Cracked corn cooked in coconut milk until it sets, with stewed red beans over the top. Rice for people who grow corn.

Serves 6

The chenchén

1 lb cracked corn (maíz caquiao)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup evaporated milk
3 cups water or chicken broth
2 tsp Badia Minced Garlic in Olive Oil, or 2 garlic cloves crushed
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

The beans

2 cups cooked red beans with 1½ cups of their liquid
2 tbsp oil
½ onion, minced
½ green pepper, minced
1 tbsp Badia Minced Garlic in Olive Oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Badia Oregano, whole
½ tsp Badia Sazón with Coriander and Annatto
1 Badia Bay Leaf, whole
¾ cup auyama, cubed
Salt
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Soak the corn. Rinse the cracked corn well and soak it in water overnight. Drain.
Cook it in the milks. In a heavy pot, combine the corn, coconut milk, evaporated milk, water or broth, garlic, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then lower to a steady simmer. Stir every 5 minutes so it does not catch. The liquid will reduce and the corn will swell, 35 to 45 minutes.
Let it set. When the corn is tender and the liquid has mostly gone, drop the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and leave it 10 minutes. The bottom will form a crust. If you have an oven-safe pot, 10 minutes under the broiler with the lid off will give you the second crust the fogón gives. Taste for salt.
The beans, meanwhile. Warm the oil. Cook the onion and pepper until soft, then the garlic a minute. Add tomato paste, oregano, sazón, and the bay leaf and stir until the paste darkens. Add the beans, their liquid, and the auyama. Simmer 25 minutes until the squash falls apart and the sauce thickens. Mash a few beans against the pot. Salt. Cilantro at the end. Remove the bay leaf.
Serve. Spoon the chenchén onto plates and break the crust over the top. Beans over that. Goat, chicken, or fried fish beside it. Avocado if it is the season.

Pueblos del Sur

San Juan de la Maguana · Las Matas de Farfán · Elías Piña · Azua · Barahona · Neiba · Jimaní · Duvergé · Cabral · Paraíso · Enriquillo · Pedernales · Oviedo · Tamayo