--- title: "Traditional Chilean Semolina Pudding with Red Wine Sauce Recipe" description: "Semolina with milk and red wine sauce is a very popular dessert in the southern part of Chile that can be enjoyed cold or warm, in any season." url: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/semolina-with-chilean-red-wine-sauce-recipe/ date: 2023-12-27 modified: 2026-01-25 author: "Carlos Uhart M." image: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Semolina-with-Chilean-Red-Wine-Sauce-Recipe.jpg categories: ["Desserts"] tags: ["Desserts"] type: post lang: en --- # Traditional Chilean Semolina Pudding with Red Wine Sauce Recipe [Versión en Español](https://comidaschilenas.com/receta-de-semola-con-vino/) ![Semolina with Chilean Red Wine Sauce Recipe](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Semolina-with-Chilean-Red-Wine-Sauce-Recipe.jpg) Semolina with milk and red wine sauce is a very popular dessert in the southern part of Chile that can be enjoyed cold or warm, in any season. A dessert that is pure delight and nostalgia. ## Nutrition Facts Each serving of semolina with red wine sauce contains approximately 330 kcal, 6 g of proteins, 5 g of total fats (3 g of saturated fats), 15 mg of cholesterol, 51 g of carbohydrates, 40 g of sugars, and 70 mg of sodium. ## How to Make Semolina With Red Wine Sauce This semolina dessert with sauce was traditionally prepared with the remnants of red wine from an important celebration the next day, alcohol-free due to cooking, to be enjoyed with the whole family. **Preparation:** 30 minutes **Cooking:** 45 minutes **Servings:** 6 people ### Ingredients #### 1. Semolina with milk - 1 liter of whole milk - 125 g of sugar - 100 g of semolina - ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence #### 2. Red wine sauce - 500 ml of Chilean red wine - 80 g of sugar - 3 teaspoons of cornstarch (chuño) - 1 cinnamon stick - Orange peel ### Instructions 1. In a medium pot, add milk, sugar, and vanilla essence. Stir and heat on medium until the milk begins to boil, then reduce the heat and gradually add the semolina in a thin stream, stirring simultaneously to prevent lumps. Continue to stir gently for a couple of minutes with a hand whisk until the semolina is well dissolved, let it boil again, and turn off the heat. ![Heating milk](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Heating-milk-300x197.jpg) 1. Transfer the semolina mixture into a greased dessert mold, a large mold, or individual molds. If the molds are silicone, they don’t need to be greased. Cover with cling film adhered to the semolina to prevent a skin from forming. Cool and refrigerate. ![Semolina](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Semolina-300x199.jpg) 1. In a medium pot, add Chilean red wine, a cinnamon stick, sugar, and a piece of orange peel and heat on medium until it boils. Flambé the wine in the same pot, meaning, light the alcohol on the surface of the liquid and let it burn until it self-extinguishes. Dissolve the cornstarch well in a cup with a little water and add it to the wine cooking pot. Stir and integrate. ![Red wine](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Red-wine-300x198.jpg) 1. Cook the wine sauce over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the desired consistency is achieved. Cool. Serve the chilled semolina with milk in individual portions topped with red wine sauce to taste on a low plate or a dessert dish. ## Keys for a Flawless Semolina Pudding - **The “Rain” Technique:** To avoid the dreaded lumps, semolina must be added gradually in a thin stream (like rain) while whisking vigorously. This ensures each grain hydrates separately rather than clumping together in the hot milk. - **The Flambé Safety Protocol:** Lighting the wine on fire (flambéing) is a technical requirement to rapidly evaporate the ethanol. By burning off the alcohol, you concentrate the fruit flavors and ensure the sauce is safe for all ages without having to boil it for hours. - **Skin Prevention:** Semolina forms a thick “skin” as it cools. To maintain a silky surface, apply plastic wrap (cling film) directly onto the surface of the hot pudding while it is in the mold. - **Starch Clarity:** While the recipe mentions cornstarch, using chuño (potato starch) is the southern Chilean tradition. Technically, potato starch provides a more transparent, glossier finish to the sauce, whereas cornstarch can make it slightly opaque. ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ### 1. Which Chilean wine variety is best for the sauce? Technically, a Carmenere or a Merlot works best. These varieties have softer tannins and fruity notes that complement the sugar and orange peel. Avoid heavily oaked “Reserva” wines, as the wood notes can become unpleasantly bitter when reduced. ### 2. Can I make this a non-dairy dessert? Yes. You can substitute whole milk with oat or almond milk. However, be aware that the protein structure is different; the pudding may be slightly less firm, so you might need to increase the semolina by 10% to achieve the same “moldable” consistency. ### 3. Why must the pot remain uncovered during the sauce preparation? This is a critical technical step for alcohol evaporation. If the pot is covered, the evaporated alcohol condenses on the lid and falls back into the sauce, preventing it from truly becoming alcohol-free. ### 4. How long does it need to set before serving? While you can eat it warm, for the best technical “unmolding” result, it should be refrigerated for at least 4 hours. This allows the starch to fully retrograde, creating a clean shape when flipped onto a plate. ## Benefits of consuming semolina Semolina is a type of flour obtained from grinding the endosperm, the largest part of the wheat grain, used in the preparation of various foods, such as pasta, couscous, corn semolina, and some types of bread. ## Did you know? Many people might believe that the alcohol in this preparation affects the result, but it’s the first thing that evaporates, which is why the pot should remain uncovered. ## Recommended - [Merken-Seasoned Pine Nuts](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/merken-seasoned-sauteed-pine-nuts-recipe/) - [Chilean pork head cheese](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-pork-head-cheese-recipe/) - [Crab and cheese empanada](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-homemade-crab-and-cheese-empanadas-recipe/) - [Chilean cochayuyo stew](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/cochayuyo-stew-recipe/)