Pupusas and potpourri.

• Author: Gross, Liza
• Position: Recipes of El Salvador

Few places in the Hemisphere can boast such a successful and versatile blend of European cuisine and cooking traditions of the Americas as tiny El Salvador. "Gallo en Chicha," the local adaptation of "Coq au Vin," along with other entrees and deserts from the Old World coexist comfortably with tortillas and tamales.

The result of this gastronomical harmony is a cuisine that presents not only an amazing variety in the use of ingredients, but also in the modes of preparation. Typical Salvadoran dishes feature all kinds of meat, several starches--rice, beans and potatoes--and an abundance of vegetables. And there is an added bonus for the health conscious. While there is some frying, most Salvadoran cooking is baked, boiled, stewed or grilled, and virtually fat-free, since many recipes call for skimming the fat off the top or draining during the preparation process.

Perhaps the most original contribution of Salvadoran cooking is the "pupusa," a corndough pie traditionally stuffed with pork and/or cheese. The hardy "Yuca con chicharron," accompanied by the shredded cabbage and carrot salad known as "curtido," is another staple. Salvadorans also have a highly developed sweet tooth, as illustrated by the cornucopia of lip-smacking deserts, including "nuegalos con miel" and the "empanadas de leche."

Some traditional dishes use local fruits or vegetables that are difficult to obtain outside El Salvador, but many can easily be tried by cooking enthusiasts everywhere."

PESCADO ENVUELTO

6 medium sized snooks or black sea bass (1-1 1/2 pounds each) Juice of 1 lemon 6 big corn husks or 12 small ones 6 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon broth 1 bunch coriander

Clean and dry fish. Season with lemon juice, broth and oil. Blend coriander and 2 1/2 water until it forms a sauce. Place each fish in one big corn husk or two small ones and add some coriander sauce. Wrap up and tie with a string. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or put in a pan with water and boil for 15 minutes. Serve wrapped up in husks.

PUPUSAS REVUELTAS

For the pupusa:

3 cups of corn meal

For the stuffing:

1 cup cold ground red beans 1 cup cold chicharron mixture 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

For the chicharron mixture:

1 onion 1 green pepper 1 clove garlic Salt and pepper to taste 1 lb pork, with no grease and cut into little pieces

Saute the pork in oil for about 20 to 25 minutes. Then put it in the blender with the tomato...