Argentina

After months of dreaming about Perito Moreno, Ushuaia and Aconcagua, I spontaneously booked a flight to Argentina — two months before my university exams. I had signed up to volunteer with the Mapuche indigenous people for a month. Many thought I’d gone completely mad!

When I arrived at the Mapuche rights association, I quickly realised I was going to see neither indigenous people nor Patagonia. And when the director of the association asked me to pay to volunteer (apparently a fairly common practice!), I decided I’d had enough. I broke open my savings and travelled Patagonia by bus, exploring national parks and gorging myself on dulce de leche — a kind of milk jam with an incredibly deep, caramel flavour. I was in Ushuaia on the day of Kate and William’s royal wedding, bundled up in a thick coat, ready to go and watch the seals!

I now speak Spanish with an Argentine accent, which makes everyone laugh!

Here is my recipe for dulce de leche. It’s essentially a caramel-like jam with a rich, milky depth. You can eat it by the spoonful (guilty!) or enjoy it on waffles, bread, crêpes or as a cake filling. It keeps well in jam jars.

Ingredients

• 1 litre whole milk
• 300 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 vanilla pod

Instructions

1. Pour the milk into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar, bicarbonate of soda and the vanilla pod (split open).
2. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. The bicarbonate of soda will cause it to froth up — this is normal, and the froth will settle.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring regularly, for about 1.5–2 hours. The mixture will gradually turn a rich, golden-brown caramel colour and thicken considerably.
4. The dulce de leche is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a trail. Be patient — the longer you cook it, the thicker and richer it becomes.
5. Remove the vanilla pod. Pour into sterilised jam jars while still warm and seal immediately. Store in the fridge once opened.

¡Buen provecho! 🇦🇷

Tip: The easiest (but slow!) method is the tin can method — simmer an unopened tin of sweetened condensed milk in boiling water for 3 hours. But be warned: never let the water level drop below the top of the tin, and never open a hot tin!