REGIONAL GASTRONOMY

The typical regional gastronomy uses the more noble and pure products offered by sea and land. These foods are catalogued as the healthier and natural, since the pasture and pure water, free from pesticides and pollution, carries the hallmark of a hundred per cent organic food.

Magellan gastronomy uses a joining of food typical and brought to the region, the latter already belonging to our local cuisine because they have been well adapted to this land, achieving a perfect development in appearance, scent and food quality.

We shall now present 2 menu you may get in the region, prepared by professionals of the Magellan gastronomy.

STARTERS:

King crab of Patagonian channels with its traditional sauces.

Beaver pâté from Puerto Williams

MAIN DISHES:

Caiquen supreme Calafate-style served with small basket potatoes with vegetables.
Magellan lamb chop and loin served with potatoes salté in olive and garlic

DESSERTS:

Cream of Calafate in tulips on redcurrant sauce pisco-style.
Rhubarb bavarois on sarsaparilla sauce.

Besides the different and more traditional food, its is possible to obtain in Magallanes excellent shellfish as large oysters, snails (Trophon or Pilquihue) prepared in several ways but preferred:

PILPIL: Salté in olive, garlic and "cacho de cabra" chili.
PARMESAN-STYLE: with cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, cooked au gratin.
And as the classic CHUPE, a stew cooked with bread soaked in milk, fried, butter, white wine and assorted spices.

Another Magellan gastronomic richness is fish. From its pure waters we obtain excellent pieces of hake, sea bass and conger, that baked or fried with different sauces or just steamed, reach unsurpassable flavors and textures.

It is easy to obtain salmon presented in varied ways. It is suggested smoked, which shall delight the gourmets that visit Magallanes.

Of the variety of meats, we may stand out the controlled use of guanaco and rhea (nandu) meat, which chefs are working on in different dishes with international touch. These exotic meats are used stewed, braised, etc.

CHILEAN PATAGONIA FRUITS

One of the most known fruits id Calafate, a "BERRY" unique in this side of the world that gives flavor and color to our preparations.

A local legend says: "THE ONE THAT EATS CALAFATE HAS TO COME BACK".

The Rhubarb was brought to Magallanes by English colonists, being able to adapt to the region in perfect harmony. The Rhubarb is a sour fruit, reason why it is advisable to consume it and preserve with some sweetener agent, such as sugar. Rhubarb is used for jams, fancy cakes, bavarois and mousses.

CHILEAN PATAGONIA DRINKS

Because of the cold climate, its inhabitants prefer full-bodied and strong taste alcoholic drinks.

ONA-CREAM (cognac, coffee liqueur, and Chantilly cream). )

Another drink, craved for not only in Magallanes but also in the whole country, is the emblematic PISCO SOUR (pisco, lemmon, icing sugar, egg white).

Typical regional drinks are Calafate and Rhubarb liquers, although they are hard to get, because they are homemade and in small-scale.

Source: Mr. Miguel Angel Salazar, International Chef, Cabo de Hornos Hotel, Punta Arenas.