Christmas & New Year’s Eve Food in Argentina

A visitor to this site recently asked for a list of various Argentinean dishes in order to plan a themed New Year’s dinner. Since we are currently doing our own planning for the upcoming holidays, I decided to send a list of what various friends and family have been serving over the years for Christmas and New Year’s. That being said, do not take this as a 100% traditional list. Everyone has their own traditions based on generations and regions. If anyone wants to add anything or yell at me for including something, fire away.

Ensalada Rusa (Russian salad) – Small pieces of potatoes, carrots, and peas dressed with mayonnaise.

Ensalada De Papas (potato salad) – Many different versions. May be chopped boiled potatoes and chopped hard boiled eggs dressed with mayonnaise or chopped boiled potatoes with parsley, garlic, and a little olive oil, for example.

Fiambre Alemán – Small tower of crepes with one ingredient between each layer. Each crepe is smeared lightly with mayo. Filling includes sandwich-style slices of ham(cured,cooked or raw) and cheese, lettuce, tomato, roasted red peppers, hardboiled egg. Some versions may include chopped olives and salami. The top outer layer is typically smeared with mayo and topped with a mixture of chopped hard boiled eggs, chopped black or green olives, and strips of roasted red pepper.

Vitel Tonne (vitello tonnato) – Slices of simmered eye of round, anchovy mayonnaise sauce, capers, and tuna. Served cold.

Lechón Asado (roasted suckling pig) – Sliced or chopped into serving size pieces. Served hot or cold.

Humita* – Corn in a cheesy white sauce including onions, tomatoes, and red peppers. *This is just one version of humita. For example, in northern regions of Argentina a popular version of humita is cooked in a corn husk without the white sauce but may contain cheese.

Escabeche De Calamares (marinated squid) – Squid rings or tentacles dressed with oil, vinegar, garlic, and parsley.

Asado/Asado Al Horno (grilled or oven roasted meats) – May be served along with a creamy cheese sauce or sweet-and-sour sauce containing fruits. Lamb is very popular in certain regions.

Pollo/Pavo A La Parrilla/Al Horno (oven-roasted or grilled chicken/turkey) – Typically seasoned with salt and lemon juice.

Peceto Relleno or Colita De Cuadril Rellena (stuffed eye of round or tri-tip) – Various fillings that may include ham, cheese, spinach, chorizo colorado(Spanish-style), bacon, dried plums, roasted red peppers, etc. Grilled or oven roasted. May include various sauces (see Asado above).

Matambre Arrollado (rolled stuffed thin flank) – Filling may include such ingredients as boiled carrots, hard boiled eggs, spinach, milk-soaked bread, olives, roasted red peppers, cheese, bacon, ham, etc. Grilled, oven roasted, or simmered in milk.

Pollo Arrollado (boneless chicken stuffed and rolled) – Similar to matambre arrollado above but with boneless whole chicken or with breast meat. Grilled, roasted, or simmered.

Budin/Soufflé (pudding/soufflé) – Savory puddings or soufflés with ingredients such as corn, leeks, or spinach.

Melon Con Jamon Crudo/Palmitos Con Jamon Crudo (prosciutto or cured raw ham with melon or hearts of palm) – Either the ham is wrapped around chunks of melon or hearts of palm, or they are stacked to eat with a toothpick

Copa De Camarones/Centolla (shrimp or king crab salad served in a cup) – Shrimp/crab salad dressed with either mayonnaise, cream, cream cheese, or salsa golf(imagine mayonnaise mixed with a little bit of tomato sauce/paste or ketchup)

Ensalada Waldorf (Waldorf salad) – Salad of apples, celery, and nuts dressed with mayonnaise and/or cream along with a touch of lemon juice.

Pionono Arrollado – Very thin rectangular yellow sponge cake rolled up into a log form filled with ingredients such as ham, lettuce, cheese, tomato, mayo, olives, tuna, chicken, roasted red peppers, etc.

Tomates Rellenos (stuffed tomatoes) – Hollowed out tomatoes with or without skin typically stuffed with a tuna or rice mixture. The tomatoes may be baked or served raw with their respective fillings.

Lengua A La Vinagreta (Beef tongue in vinaigrette) – Thin slices of cooked beef tongue in a vinaigrette of oil, vinegar, garlic, and parsley.

Note: Sweets & drinks to follow….