Food and Drink

Rocoto relleno

1 February 2017

Rocoto relleno (stuffed pepper) is a typical dish from Arequipa in Peru; it is normally served with pastel de papa (potato gratin).

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Recipe serves:4

Ingredients

400-500g minced beef
4 red peppers
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp crushed peanuts
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp black olives, sliced
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp ají panca paste (paprika powder will work as well)
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
2 hard-boiled eggs
Salt and pepper
120ml beef stock
4 thick slices of white cheese such as mozzarella
120ml unsweetened evaporated milk
Pinch of nutmeg

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180⁰C.
Prepare the peppers by cutting the tops off (keep these to one side) and placing them in a pan of salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Once done, dry the peppers and set aside.
In a saucepan or wok, heat the oil, add the meat and stir constantly over a high heat until it has browned.
Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Add the onions and cook until they appear translucent.
Add the salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, vinegar, ají panca paste (or equivalent), sugar and raisins, together with the beef stock and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the stock is almost completely evaporated.
Blend the crushed peanuts with some beef stock for a nice, creamy consistency and add to the mixture.
When the meat is cooked, add the hard-boiled eggs, parsley and olives.
Prepare a creamy sauce by whisking the two eggs, salt and pepper, milk, and nutmeg together until it is well combined.
Fill the individual peppers wit hthe meat and put in a greased ovenproof dish, pour the sauce inside each pepper, place a slice of cheese on top and put the top of the pepper back on.
Pour the remaining sauce over the closed peppers and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden and the cheese has melted.
¡Buen provecho!

Papagaio

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