Chilean lamb chanfaina

Ingredients

• 1lamb’s liver
• 4 largepotatoes
• 4, slicedonions
• 3, dicedtomatoes
• 200 ggreen beans
• 1, finely choppedcarrot
• 1 piecepumpkin or squash
• ½green pepper
• 90 g (½ cup)rice
• 1 clove, finely choppedgarlic
• 1 teaspoon, to tastesalt
• a littleoil
• to tastebay leaf
• to tastealiño completo seasoning
• to tasteají de color (mild red chilli or paprika seasoning)
• to tasteblack pepper
• as neededwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the liver

   Rinse the liver and put it in a large pot. Cover generously with water, add a teaspoon of salt to taste, and cook uncovered over a medium heat for 1 hour, or until tender.

2. 2

   Chop the liver

   Take the liver out of the pot and cut it into small, 1 cm cubes, as you would for a carbonada. Keep the cooking broth.

3. 3

   Soften the vegetables

   Add a little oil to a large pot and warm it over a medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot, and fry for a few minutes until the onion looks translucent.

4. 4

   Build the stew

   Add the chopped garlic, bay leaf, aliño completo, ají de color, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. Add the diced liver, cut potatoes, green beans and squash. Pour in enough reserved broth to cover everything, topping up with water if needed, and adjust the seasoning. Cover and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are halfway cooked.

5. 5

   Add the rice

   Stir in the rice, cover the pot again and cook for about 10 minutes more, until the rice and vegetables are cooked.

6. 6

   Serve the stew

   Serve the lamb chanfaina hot, straight away, in a large, deep bowl.

What is chanfaina?

Chanfaina is a stew with Spanish roots that became part of the cooking traditions of several Latin American countries. In Chile, it is especially associated with country cooking and is commonly made with lamb liver or kidneys.

This version combines liver with potatoes, rice and vegetables, making a substantial stew. Cooking the liver first also gives you a broth to use as the base.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 400 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The potatoes, rice and vegetables provide most of the carbohydrates, while the lamb liver is the main source of protein. The added oil contributes fat; serve with a simple salad or extra green vegetables for a balanced plate.

The lamb liver and broth

Liver first: Simmer it uncovered until tender, then cut it into small, even cubes. Keep the cooking liquid; it brings the liver’s flavour into the rest of the stew.

Building the flavour

Onion and vegetables: Fry the onion, green pepper and carrot until the onion turns translucent before adding the seasonings. This gives the stew a soft, savoury base.

Seasonings: Garlic, bay leaf, aliño completo and ají de color add depth. Season to taste, remembering that the broth has already had salt added.

Getting the timing right

Potatoes and squash: Add these with the liver and green beans, then simmer them until they are halfway cooked before adding the rice. The method allows the rice to finish cooking alongside the vegetables.

Rice: Keep the pot covered for its final cooking stage and check that the rice and vegetables are tender before serving.

Choosing and cutting the vegetables

Potatoes: Cut them into pieces that are similar in size so they cook at roughly the same rate. The recipe does not specify a size, but the liver is cut into 1 cm cubes.

Green beans: Add the 200 g with the potatoes and squash. Their texture should be tender by the end of the rice’s cooking time.

Serving the stew

Serve the chanfaina hot in deep bowls, as the recipe suggests. Its liver, potatoes, rice and vegetables make it a filling main dish on its own.

If you would like something alongside it, offer bread to mop up the broth or a simple salad for a fresh contrast.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the liver into evenly sized 1 cm cubes so the pieces are consistent.
• Reserve all the liver-cooking broth before starting the vegetable base.
• Fry the onion until translucent before adding the garlic and seasonings.
• Add water only if the reserved broth does not cover the stew ingredients.
• Taste the broth before adding more salt, as it was salted during the first cooking stage.
• Check that both the rice and vegetables are tender before serving.

Variations

• Use lamb kidneys: Substitute kidneys for the liver to reflect another traditional Chilean version.
• Change the seasoning: Adjust the aliño completo and ají de color to suit your preferred flavour.
• Make it more brothy: Add water as needed alongside the reserved cooking liquid.
• Use seasonal squash: Choose a suitable pumpkin or squash for the piece called for in the recipe.
• Serve with bread: Add bread at the table for soaking up the cooking broth.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Discarding the broth: Keep the liver-cooking liquid to flavour and cover the stew.
• Overcooking the liver first: Check it after an hour and stop once it is tender.
• Adding rice too early: Wait until the potatoes and squash are halfway cooked before stirring in the rice.
• Under-seasoning the broth: Taste and adjust the seasoning before covering the pot to simmer.
• Serving before the rice is ready: Check that the rice and vegetables are cooked through before serving.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan, adding a splash of water if the rice has thickened the stew.

Frequently asked questions