Cancato de salmón is a traditional dish from the south of Chile that perfectly combines one of the world’s finest salmons with high-quality sausages, typically longanizas from Chillán, making it an excellent choice for an appetizer or a main course.
Contents
How to make Chilean Salmon Cancato?
Chilean salmon cancato is a simple dish to prepare, but it creates an unbeatable contrast between fish, sausage, and creamy cheese, making it a staple in Chilean cuisine.
Nutritional Information
Category: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Chilean
Calories: 350
Preparation: 60 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Chilean Salmon Cancato recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg of Chilean salmon
- 450 g of skinless longaniza sausage, sliced
- 300 g of creamy cheese, sliced
- 100 ml of white wine
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, sliced unpeeled
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Dried oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation
- In an elongated dish, marinate the salmon with lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to medium-high temperature, around 180°C (356°F) for at least 10 minutes.
- On a baking tray, arrange a base of sliced onions, place the marinated salmon on top, cover with slices of creamy cheese, followed by tomato slices, sprinkle with dried oregano to taste, and finally top with slices of Chillán longaniza.
- Place the tray in the preheated oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, adding the white wine about 5 minutes before the end of cooking to deglaze the onions.
- Remove from the oven and serve the cancato de salmon immediately, as an appetizer or main course accompanied by rice or potatoes.
Origin of traditional Cancato
Cancato is a word derived from Mapudungun “kangkatu” or “kangka” (roasted meat) which later in the Chiloé area evolved into the term “canca” (roast), “hacer canca” (to roast), and finally established “hacer cancato” as the specific activity of “roasting fish.”
Did you know?
Chileans consume an average of 3.5 kilograms of salmon per capita each year (IFOP, 2020), significantly more than other fish such as tuna, which only reach 1.7 kilograms per inhabitant.
