Papas Rellenas

Andean Stuffed Potato Croquettes with Aceituna Botija Sauce

We all have moments when we can’t figure out what is going wrong with a recipe. When we were prepping to open Picca, I was really suffering in the kitchen with my papas rellenas—you fill riced or mashed potatoes with a spicy ground beef filling, almost like an ají pepper–spiced chili, tuck a black olive and a slice of hard-boiled egg alongside, close the whole thing up, and fry the cakes. Easy—or so I thought. I guess I never made the stuffed potato croquettes that much. I used to buy them after school from street vendors when I was growing up. This is one recipe where it helps to have a good teacher to show you the ropes, like when learning to ride a bicycle.

At the restaurant, no matter how I shaped the potato croquettes—fat, thin, small, big, oval, or round—they would fall apart in the fryer. I finally called one of my mom’s friends to ask for her secret: Once the cakes are shaped, you need to refrigerate them until they are cold before frying them. It’s the same as with leftover mashed potato cakes. Chilling dries out the potatoes slightly so they hold together better when fried. It also means you can shape the cakes ahead for a party or a quick weeknight supper, or fry them to serve more as portable picnic snacks, at room temperature. My kids get as excited about these in their lunches as I did when I spotted the papas rellenas street vendor outside our schoolyard, waiting for the last afternoon bell to ring. (Smart guy.)

For the filling, instead of beef, you could use the same spice mixture to make a chicken version, or eggplant and tomatoes would be a good vegetable combo. Because it’s easiest to cook a full pound of beef, this makes more filling than you need. Freeze the leftovers, and you’re ready to go for another batch. When I’m too hungry to wait for the cakes to chill, I’ll just spoon the spicy meat on top of mashed potatoes—quick, tasty, and no need to call up the old neighbors for help.

Potatoes

Filling

Assembly

1 To make the potatoes, quarter the potatoes if they are small, or coarsely chop larger potatoes into 1½- to 2-inch chunks. Place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover them with water by a solid inch, and bring the water to a low boil over high heat. Boil the potatoes until very tender when pierced with a knife, usually 10 to 15 minutes from the time the water begins to boil. Drain the potatoes and let cool in the strainer or better still, on a baking sheet, for 10 to 15 minutes to dry out.

2 While the potatoes are still slightly warm, pass them through a ricer or food mill into a large bowl or onto a work surface, or put the potatoes in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a large fork until few lumps remain. Mix in the olive oil and salt and use the palms of your hands to knead the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes (see photos 1 to 3, page 183), until they become almost silky to the touch, like you are making causas (see page 183). Turn the potatoes out onto a work surface if your bowl isn’t large enough. You should have about 4 cups potatoes. Use the potatoes right away, or refrigerate the potato base overnight.

3 To make the filling, heat a nice drizzle of olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan (2 to 3 tablespoons), in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat until hot, a good 2 minutes. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until they begin to soften and are nicely browned along the edges, a good 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté for another minute, then stir in the cumin, ají panca and amarillo pastes, and bay leaf.

4 Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently push the aderezo (flavorings) back and forth on the bottom of the pan with the spoon until the pepper pastes smell toasty, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beef and cook the meat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Mix in the raisins, oregano, salt, pepper, and stock. Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer and cook, stirring often, until the filling looks like a juicy pasta sauce, a good 12 to 15 minutes (the broth should reduce by more than half). Season the filling with more salt, if desired. It should be nicely seasoned; the potatoes will tame the heat and seasonings. Let the filling cool completely before using, or refrigerate overnight, like the potatoes. Remove the bay leaf before assembling the rellenas.

5 To assemble the rellenas, massage the chilled potatoes a few times to work out any cracks that have formed in the potato “dough.” Form about ½ cup of the potato base into a 4- to 5-inch oblong disc in the palm of one hand (see photo 4). Place about 2 generous tablespoons of the filling in the center and nestle 1 hard-boiled egg quarter and 1 olive alongside, if desired (see photos 5 and 6). Gently press the potato base over the filling to close, like you are closing a clamshell (see photo 7). Pass the rellena back and forth between your hands to shape it into an oblong shape, like a russet potato or tiny football (see photo 8). Add a little more potato “dough” to patch up any cracks on the outside, if necessary (see photo 9). Repeat with the remaining potatoes and filling to make 8 papas rellenas. Cover the rellenas and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

6 Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Have the eggs and flour ready in two separate bowls. In a medium, deep saucepan, heat 2½ to 3 inches of oil until it registers 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer, or fill a deep fryer with the recommended amount of oil and set the temperature to 350°F. When hot, use a frying thermometer to test the oil’s temperature, or drop a small nub of flour into the oil. It should bubble vigorously and rise to the top after a few seconds. If the oil smokes, reduce the heat.

7 To fry the rellenas, dip one at a time in the beaten eggs, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, then dredge lightly in the flour. Drop 2 or 3 at a time in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the saucepan or fryer.

8 Cook the rellenas until golden brown, 2½ to 3 minutes. Use tongs to flip each once or twice (they should be bobbing at the top of the oil, like apples) to evenly brown them on both sides. Transfer the rellenas to the paper towel–lined baking sheet. If not serving immediately, place them in the oven to keep warm for up to 30 minutes. Fry the remaining rellenas the same way. When ready to serve, pile the rellenas onto a big platter or on individual plates with some lettuce (if using) and serve the aceituna Botija sauce on the side.

Aceituna Botija Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

This creamy sauce, really a flavored mayonnaise-based dressing, gets its intense and unique flavor from Peruvian Botija olives. They are worth seeking out, but you could substitute Kalamatas. You can use it as a salad dressing, or to make a killer tuna sandwich.

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate the olive sauce for up to 3 days.