Stuffed potatoes, or papas rellenas, are deep-fried croquettes with a ground beef centre which are a popular snack across South America and an excellent way to use leftover mashed potatoes.
This recipe comes from 2015 WOMADelaide artist Luzmila Carpio, a Bolivian singer who celebrates the ancient songs and cultural ways of the Andes.
Described by Yehudi Menuhin as a “singing violin”, Carpio sings in the 2000-year-old Quechua tongue, wearing colourful traditional costume.
Carpio (below) will be participating in WOMADelaide’s Taste the World event, which takes festival goers on a four-day international culinary adventure around the world. Look out for more recipes by festival artists each week in the lead-up to the event on March 6 to 9.
Luzmila Carpio. Photo supplied
Stuffed potatoes Bolivian style
Ingredients
2 red onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 level tsp finely chopped Bolivian Rainbow chilli (mix with or replace with paprika if too hot)
250g rump steak, minced with a knife
½ level tsp ground black pepper
½ level tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
½ cup fresh peas
¼ cup golden raisins
10 Papa Imilla (floury) potatoes
12 black olives
3 eggs
flour (for hands)
grapeseed oil
a little milk and an extra egg, if needed
5 shallots, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, thinly sliced
fresh coriander, chopped
fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil
lettuce
Method
Sweat onions in 1 level tablespoon of grapeseed oil for a couple of minutes. Add finely chopped garlic, taking care not to let it burn.
Add black pepper and chilli, then minced steak and peas. Allow the peas to cook to your liking, then incorporate golden raisins and oregano. Taste for salt. Aim for a moist, not wet, stuffing.
Cook the potatoes in their skins in salted water. Cool a little, peel and mash them with a fork to obtain a smooth paste. Add an egg or some milk, if needed (this depends on the quality of the potatoes).
Cook two eggs for 10 minutes in boiling water. Peel and cut into dice.
Cut the olives in quarters.
Form balls of potato mash in the palm of your hand. Flatten them, form a space with your thumb in the centre and stuff with steak and peas mixture. Add some egg and olive, then close over with the rest of the potato in your hand. Press along the seams to completely seal the potato balls. You should obtain palm-sized, oval, stuffed potatoes.
Mix remaining egg in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Heat grapeseed oil in a frying pan. Dust hands with flour, then dip each stuffed potato ball in the egg, and then fry it in hot oil until golden brown all over.
To prepare the side salad: mix together shallots (reserve a pinch to garnish), tomatoes, coriander and parsley in a bowl. Add olive oil, salt and toss.
Serve salad on a bed of lettuce leaves with stuffed potatoes on top. Sprinkle with reserved shallots and serve while hot.
Join local chef and food identity Rosa Matto and selected WOMADelaide artists at Taste the World as they celebrate the delicious food and fascinating culture of their home countries, all entwined with musical interludes and intimate personal anecdotes. More information about Taste the World can be found here.
New York/Israeli band Balkan Beat Box’s shakshuka breakfast eggs
Iranian/Australian artist Tara Tiba’s saffron chicken with barberry rice
