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Rocoto relleno
Arequipa-style stuffed rocoto peppers with mushroom, peanut and raisin filling, baked with cheese and potato
Rocoto relleno is the pride of Arequipa's picanterías: fiery rocoto peppers stuffed with a sweet-savoury filling, topped with cheese and baked over sliced potato in an egg and milk custard. The traditional filling is minced beef; this vegetarian version uses mushrooms and lentils fried with ají panca, cumin, peanuts, raisins, olives and boiled egg, which gives the same rich, spiced, slightly sweet bite. The peppers are first blanched several times in fresh water with sugar and vinegar to tame their heat, which is the real skill of the dish. If you can't find rocotos, use small red bell peppers and add a little habanero to the filling. Chef's tip: taste a sliver of rocoto after the second blanching; stop when it is hot but pleasant, and blanch once more if it still burns.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the peppers
For the filling
For baking
Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Cut a lid off the top of each of the 6 rocotos, keeping the stalk on. Wearing gloves, scrape out all the seeds and white veins with a teaspoon; the veins hold most of the heat. Keep the lids.
Step 2: Put the peppers and lids in a large pan of cold water with a third of 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp white vinegar. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2 minutes, then drain and discard the water.
8 minStep 3: Repeat twice more with fresh cold water and another third of 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp white vinegar each time. Taste a sliver after the second round: it should be spicy but no longer painful. With bell peppers, blanch just once for 2 minutes, without sugar or vinegar.
16 minStep 4: Lay the peppers upside down on a rack to drain while you make the filling.
Step 5: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook 2 red onions for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden.
8 minStep 6: Add 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ají panca paste, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano and fry for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens and the oil turns deep red.
2 minStep 7: Turn up the heat, add 14 oz chestnut mushrooms and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until all their water has evaporated and they look dark and meaty. Don't rush this step, or the filling will be watery.
10 minStep 8: Stir in 7 oz cooked brown lentils, 2 ⅛ oz roasted peanuts, 1 ⅜ oz raisins and 8 black olives and cook for 2 minutes. Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, take off the heat and fold in 2 eggs. Taste: it should be savoury, a little sweet and well spiced.
2 minStep 9: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Lay 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoes in a single layer in a large baking dish.
Step 10: Fill the peppers generously, pressing down gently, and stand them on the potatoes. Lay a slice of 9 oz queso fresco over each opening and scatter the rest over the potatoes; set the lids alongside.
Step 11: Beat 2 eggs with ¾ cup evaporated milk and a pinch of salt and pour it over the potatoes, not over the peppers.
Step 12: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the custard is set and golden, the cheese has melted and blistered and the peppers are tender. Rest for 5 minutes, put the lids on and serve each pepper with potatoes from the dish.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rocoto relleno take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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