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Milcao
Potato bread
Milcao: Chiloé's crisp potato bread made from raw and mashed potato
On Chiloé, where potatoes have been grown for thousands of years, milcao is the bread that comes with almost everything: it is buried in the curanto pit, boiled in broth, or pan-fried until crusty and eaten with honey or sugar in the afternoon. The dough is half grated raw potato and half mashed boiled potato. Islanders often press pork crackling into it; this version is plain and vegan. Forgetting to squeeze the raw potato is the mistake that makes milcaos fall apart in the pan. Chef's tip: let the squeezed potato juice stand for 5 minutes, pour off the water and scrape the white starch from the bottom of the bowl back into the dough; it is the glue that holds milcao together.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb baking potatoespeeled, for grating
- 1 ⅛ lb baking potatoespeeled, cut into chunks, for mashing
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp vegetable oilfor frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil 1 ⅛ lb baking potatoes in salted water until tender, drain well and mash smoothly. Leave to cool a little.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile, finely grate 1 ⅛ lb baking potatoes onto a clean tea towel set over a bowl. Gather the towel and squeeze until no more liquid comes out. Leave the liquid to settle.
Step 3: Pour off the water from the bowl, keeping the white starch at the bottom. Mix the starch, grated potato, mash and 1 tsp salt into a firm dough.
Step 4: With wet hands, shape into 8 flat cakes about 1.5 cm thick and 8 cm across. Make a dent in the centre of each with your thumb so they cook evenly.
Step 5: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the milcaos in batches until deep golden and crisp, 6–7 minutes a side. The middle should be cooked through, not grey or gummy.
15 minStep 6: Drain on paper and serve hot, with honey or sugar for a sweet snack or with pebre alongside a stew.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does milcao take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of baking potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of baking potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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