Solterito

Southern Peruvian-Style Salad with Potatoes, Favas & Rocoto Vinaigrette

Solterito is a specialty in southern Peru around Arequipa, where high-heat rocoto peppers are king. The history is a little muddy, but the word soltero means “bachelor,” so maybe the name comes from how easy this saladlike dish is to make—as in, even un solterito (“little bachelor") can make it to impress his friends. The salad has all of your vegetables on one plate, so it doubles as a one-dish meal or a substantial side.

Leftover boiled potatoes are traditional and very good, but roasting the potatoes is one of those extra steps that makes all of the flavors in the solterito really stand out. Other than potatoes, I usually go for a mix of fresh fava beans, spring peas, and tomatoes, but this is a good place to play around. Instead of favas (also known as broad beans), try frozen edamame or green garbanzos. If you do use fresh favas, remember to blanch and peel the beans after shelling them, or look for frozen favas that have already been peeled.

• 1 pound baby fingerling or other small potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (about 1 pound in the pod) or peeled shelled frozen fava beans, thawed
• ½ cup shelled fresh peas (about ½ pound unshelled) or ½ cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, or 2 ripe medium heirloom, beefsteak, or other juicy tomatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
• About 1½ cups choclo (see page 28) or other blanched corn, drained
• Rocoto Vinaigrette (recipe)
• 1 (4-ounce) block feta cheese or queso fresco, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup Botija or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• Small handful of pea tendrils, or a few tablespoons of coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Halve the potatoes, or quarter them if large. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil and salt. Spread the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, depending on their size. Set aside to cool.

2 Fill a large bowl with ice and water (use plenty of ice). Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and blanch the favas (fresh or frozen) for about 2 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer the favas to the ice bath. Wait a few seconds, then drain and peel the fresh favas by using your fingers to pop the beans out of their skins. (If using frozen favas, they should already be peeled.) If using fresh peas, refresh the ice bath and refill the pot. Bring the water to a boil, add the peas, and boil for 1 minute. Drain, then immediately transfer the peas to the ice bath. Wait a few seconds, then drain the peas. (If using thawed frozen peas, skip the blanching step.) Transfer the favas and peas to a paper towel–lined bowl to drain.

3 Pour a nice drizzle of olive oil into a large sauté pan, enough to coat the bottom of the pan (2 to 3 tablespoons), and heat the oil until hot, a good 2 minutes. Add the roasted potatoes to the pan and sear them for about 2 minutes, tossing the potatoes often. (If using leftover potatoes, let them come to room temperature before frying.) Add the favas, peas, tomatoes, and choclo and fry the vegetables until the edges color in a few spots and the tomatoes barely begin to soften, about 30 seconds.

4 Pour about ½ cup of the rocoto vinaigrette into the pan. Toss the vegetables in the vinaigrette, taste, and add a little more vinaigrette if you’d like. The flavors should be pretty bold. Remove the pan from the stove and gently fold in the feta. Spoon the solterito onto a large serving plate or individual plates. Scatter the olives and pea tendrils on top, and serve inmediatamente.

Rocoto Vinaigrette

Makes about ⅔ cup

Rocoto peppers remind me of very spicy green bell peppers. They work really well in salad dressings when you have starchier vegetables like potatoes or hearty beans as a backdrop for the heat to play off. The subtle citrusy flavors in a really good Banyuls vinegar are nice in this dressing, but any balsamic vinegar would also be good.

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rocoto paste (see page 34), or to taste
• 1½ teaspoons pureed garlic (see page 37) or finely minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Banyuls or balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Generous ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix together the rocoto paste, garlic, red wine vinegar, Banyuls vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil so the dressing emulsifies. Season the dressing with more salt, if desired. Use right away or cover and refrigerate the rocoto vinaigrette for up to 3 days. Let the vinaigrette come to room temperature and shake or stir it well before using.