Locro de Zapallo con Quinoa y Huevos Fritos

Andean Squash Stew with Quinoa & Fried Eggs

Locro de zapallo (pumpkin stew) is a very old, very hearty Incan stew made from pumpkin, potatoes, choclo (large-kernel corn), and, since the arrival of the Spanish, chunks of fresh queso fresco. I loved it the moment my uncle Lucio, a true old-school mountain man, taught me to make it. Whenever my older brother Julio, who wasn’t a fan, ribbed me for hanging out with our sisters in the kitchen, I’d make a big pot of locro de zapallo for that night’s family supper, just to get back at him. I’m still waiting for him to visit Los Angeles from Japan, where he now lives, to try my version. This time, I know he’s going to love it.

Instead of throwing all the ingredients together in a pot like a stew, I slowly cook the squash and potatoes confit-style, in seasoned olive oil, until they become incredibly tender and almost buttery. I also add quinoa, which isn’t traditional, so you get a slightly chewy texture to contrast with the vegetables. Along with the more traditional queso fresco (or feta—see page 265), a few seared tomatoes and a fried egg on top turn the stew into an impressive dinner.

Making a confit of the vegetables makes them super moist and tender, but even roasting or sautéing the squash and potatoes gives the stew a richer flavor than simply boiling them in the stew. If you do confit the vegetables, strain and save the seasoned oil for another round of confit, or to drizzle on chicken, fish, or vegetables.

Confit Vegetables

½ medium kabocha squash (about 1¼ pounds), peeled and cut into cubes about ¾ inch wide
1 pound red or small white potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes about ¾ inch wide
4 leafy sprigs fresh thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary, broken in half, or 2 small sprigs
8 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Locro

¼ cup Salsa Madre (page 196)
1 cup frozen choclo (see page 28) or fresh corn kernels
About 2 cups homemade vegetable or chicken stock (see page 40) or low-sodium store-bought broth
About 3 cups cooked quinoa (see page 201)
1 (4-ounce) block feta cheese or queso fresco, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
4 large eggs, fried as you like (optional)
4 whole Pan-Fried Tomatoes (see sidebar, page 204)

1 To make the confit vegetables, preheat the oven to 300°F. Put the squash and potatoes in separate deep baking dishes that fit the vegetables in a single layer with a little breathing room between each piece. Divide the thyme, rosemary, and garlic between the roasting dishes and generously pour enough olive oil over each so the vegetables are completely covered by a good ½ inch of oil. Cover the baking dishes snugly with foil and bake until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Strain the vegetables through a fine-mesh strainer (it’s fine to mix the potatoes and squash together) over a bowl and reserve the oil, herbs, and garlic. (When cool, transfer the oil, herbs, and garlic to a storage jar to confit vegetables again, or use as cooking oil. Store the oil in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.) Season the potatoes and squash with salt and use right away, or let cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring the vegetables to room temperature before making the locro.

2 To make the locro, heat a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat until hot, a good 2 minutes. Add the salsa madre, stir it around with a wooden spoon for a few seconds, then stir in the choclo. Cook the corn for a minute or two, then stir in the stock, followed by the quinoa. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the quinoa soaks up most of the stock. Add a little more stock if the quinoa looks dry. Fold in the potatoes and squash very gently. Some of the squash may be so tender that it almost melts into the quinoa. It will only make the quinoa taste better. Stir in the cubed feta and remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the Parmesan on top and turn off the heat.

3 If topping the locro with eggs, fry them now, and get your serving bowls ready.

4 Stir the locro one more time to incorporate the Parmesan, and mound the stew into the center of wide, shallow serving bowls or individual plates (the “stew” is pretty thick, more like risotto, so a plate is fine). Top each with a fried egg and nestle two pan-fried tomato halves alongside. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top and serve the locro inmediatamente.

To make Pan-Fried Tomatoes: Halve 4 (or as many as you need) ripe but firm plum tomatoes lengthwise. Dip your finger or a spoon in a little pureed garlic (see page 37) and spread it generously on the cut flesh of each tomato (or rub each side lightly with a smashed garlic clove). Lightly season each tomato with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and dried oregano, if you’d like. Heat a drizzle of olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of a large iron skillet or saucepan (2 to 3 tablespoons), over medium-high heat until very hot, a good 2 minutes or longer. Add the tomatoes, cut-side down, in batches if needed so you don’t crowd the pan, and sear them for about 15 seconds, until they just begin to color. Flip and sear the opposite side until they just look juicy, about 15 seconds more. Transfer the tomatoes to a plate. Add a little more olive oil if the pan looks dry before cooking the remaining tomatoes. Makes 8 tomato halves.