In the Kitchen with Chef Jessica Chacin

From dugout canoes on the Orinoco River to thatched huts in the Amazon region, from long-horned cattle at a watering place to a mid-20th-century beauty contest, evocative photos of Venezuela adorn the outside walls of Savores Grill House. Nearby, picnic tables allow guests to dine alfresco, with takeout also being a popular option.

“We were blessed to be able to open this place,” says Chef Jessica Chacin, who explains that the enterprise began with a food truck. “It’s been a journey. We feel grateful that our customers have followed us here. Plus, there are new people coming in all the time.”

Savores is a Venezuelan restaurant, the only one in Vero Beach. Born and raised in Maracaibo in western Venezuela—near the famous Lake Maracaibo—Chacin moved to the United States with her husband in 2013. Along with missing family, she recalls, “We started missing our food.” They would drive to Miami in attempts to find Venezuelan restaurants and ingredients. That’s how the idea for the food truck, and eventually the restaurant, came to them.

The name “Savores,” which refers to enjoying the flavors of a meal, was chosen because “everything started with looking for the flavors of our food.”

Chacin learned to cook while she was growing up by watching her mother in the kitchen, but as she got into the business herself, she expanded her repertoire of traditional Venezuelan dishes. “I called my grandmother and aunts, and I took classes with Venezuelan chefs.”

Chacin is also interested in the history and folklore behind the dishes. For example, asado negro, a blackened beef dish with a rich sauce, is said to have been invented by a woman who accidentally burned a steak and figured out a clever way to cover up the mistake. “Today, we don’t burn it,” says Chacin with a smile, “but we blacken it on purpose.”

The vibrant flavors of Venezuelan cuisine are exemplified by the house special sauce, which features cilantro and lime. A national dish known as pabellón features shredded beef, black beans, white rice, and sweet plantains. Traditional desserts, including flan and tres leches, are also offered. “Tres leches is one of my favorites,” says Chacin, “and most of my customers love my tres leches.”

A sense of culinary nostalgia and a search for traditional flavors have given Chacin the opportunity to share those flavors with Vero Beach.

Appetizer: Tequeños

These appetizers are so popular at family reunions and weddings, Chacin says that “if they don’t have tequeños, they’re not really Venezuelan.”

Serves 4

• 1 lb. queso fresco
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. corn oil

Mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Add water little by little and stir. Add melted butter and knead for approximately 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for half an hour.

Stretch the dough and cut it into strips about 2 inches wide. Slice the cheese into strips that are slightly smaller, and roll a piece of dough around each piece of cheese.

In a skillet, heat the corn oil and fry the strips of cheese and dough until they are golden and crispy.

Entrée: Arepa Reina Pepiada

The story goes that this combination was invented not by a Spanish queen (reina) but by a Venezuelan beauty queen.

Serves 3

For the arepas (corn cakes)

• 2 cups pre-cooked white cornmeal (preferably Harina PAN brand)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

In a bowl, stir water and salt together, then gradually stir in the cornmeal with your fingers until the mixture forms a soft, moist, malleable dough. Form the dough into 3-inch-diameter balls. Pat down each ball to flatten into a 3/8-inch-thick arepa.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the arepas until they are golden brown. Transfer them to a paper towel.

For the filling:

• 1 pound chicken breast
• 4 fresh avocados, mashed
• 1/2 onion, diced in fine cubes
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the chicken breast for about 14 minutes; then let it cool and shred it.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the mashed avocados, onions, cilantro, and mayonnaise. Mix well and add salt and pepper.

Slice each arepa in half horizontally with a thin serrated knife. A good tip is to use a plastic knife so the dough doesn’t stick to it. Form it into a pocket and fill as desired.

Dessert: Quesillo Venezolano

Flan is a beloved dessert in the Spanish-speaking world, and Chacin describes this as a distinctively Venezuelan version.

Serves 3

• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 can whole milk (use the empty condensed-milk can to measure it)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. rum
• Additional water for water bath

You will need flan molds for this recipe.

Blend together milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and rum.

In a pan, mix the sugar and water together and melt the sugar over low heat, stirring to prevent burning. When the sugar is golden brown, pour into the flan molds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a water bath by filling a heat-proof container with water. The container must be large enough to hold the flan molds.

Pour the mixture of milk, eggs, vanilla, and rum into the flan molds. Place the molds in the container with the water bath, and place the water bath in the preheated oven. Allow it to bake for 45 minutes. Cool and serve.