Peruvian stuffed potatoes

  

A very simple and easy recipe where we use a kind of mashed potatoes to wrap a meat filling and then re-shape it into a potato.

INGREDIENTS (4 people):

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of potatoes
• 250 grams (9 oz) of minced pork, beef etc.
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon paprika (hot or sweet, to taste)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Optional: cassava, chopped olives, chopped egg, etc.
• White wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• Oil

First of all, we are going to cook the potatoes whole and peeled until they soften. In Peru, cassava is also usually boiled together since it gives a smoother texture to the stuffed potato, but it can be done wihtout it.

Once they are well cooked, we pass them through the food processor. If you have also cooked cassava, it is also passed and mixed with the potatoes (you can make the same proportion of cassava as potatoes, with which you will get more quantity of stuffed potatoes or half a kilo / 1.1 lbs of potatoes and a half of cassava). Salt and pepper thoroughly and reserve.

In a frying pan with a generous jet of  oil, fry the onion and the grated garlic clove and when the transparent onion is added, carefully add the paprika so that it does not burn. We quickly incorporate the meat, season it and cook it until it is well done. If we want, we can add chopped olives, pine nuts, chopped boiled egg, etc. to the meat filling to suit everyone's taste.

Now is the time to "rebuild" the potato. First of all, we must spread a good amount of wheat flour on the kitchen table. With it we will coat our hands so that the potato does not stick to our hands. A good amount is pinched and we spread it so that it takes about the size of the palm of the extended hand with a thickness of a finger. With the other hand we take the meat and place it in the center (not too much). Then we close the package so that it takes the original shape that a "natural" potato would have. We pass it through the flour, then through the two beaten eggs and direct to a pan with a lot of oil where we will fry it until it is golden brown.

While it is not well browned on all sides, we will turn it over very carefully since it could break. When it is well done, serve it immediately. A preparation that no one in your home will forget.