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Paches de papa
Potato tamales with chicken
Paches: Quetzaltenango's potato tamales with chicken and red recado
Paches are the tamales of Quetzaltenango (Xela) in the Guatemalan highlands, made with mashed potato instead of corn and eaten on Christmas Eve and, by long custom, on Thursdays. The potato masa is coloured red with a recado of tomato, chillies and spices, filled with chicken, and wrapped in banana leaves to steam. They are soft and spoonable, served with bread and a squeeze of lime. Chef's tip: mash the potatoes while hot and mix in the recado straight away, so the masa stays smooth and doesn't turn gluey.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the recado
- 14 oz tomatoes
- 3 dried guajillo chilliesseeded
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ onion
- 1 tbsp achiote paste
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 3 tbsp lard or oil
For the masa
- 3 ⅓ lb starchy potatoes (such as Russet)peeled
- 3 ½ oz rice flour
- 2 tsp salt
For the filling
- 1 ¾ lb boneless chicken thighsin 10 pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 banana leavesin 30 cm squares, softened, plus string
- 2 limesin wedges, to serve
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil 3 ⅓ lb starchy potatoes (such as Russet) for 20 minutes until soft. Meanwhile roast 14 oz tomatoes, ½ onion and 3 cloves garlic until charred, toast 3 dried guajillo chillies and soak for 10 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chillies, 1 tbsp achiote paste, 1 small cinnamon stick and 2 cloves to a smooth sauce. Fry in 3 tbsp lard or oil for 10 minutes until darker and thick.
10 minStep 3: Mash the hot potatoes very smoothly with 2 tsp salt, then beat in 3 ½ oz rice flour and two-thirds of the recado to a soft, red masa.
Step 4: Season 1 ¾ lb boneless chicken thighs with 1 tsp salt and toss with the rest of the recado.
Step 5: On each of 10 banana leaves spread a large spoonful of masa, put a piece of chicken in the middle and cover with a little more masa. Fold into a parcel and tie.
25 minStep 6: Steam for 1½ hours, until the masa is firm and a thermometer in the chicken reads 165°F. A common mistake is a weak simmer: keep the water bubbling steadily and top it up. Serve hot with 2 limes.
90 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does paches de papa take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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