Rocoto Relleno Arequipeño

Ingredients

• 6 large red rocoto peppers
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 100 ml white vinegar
• 500 g minced beef
• 2 red onions, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp ají panca paste
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 50 g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 40 g raisins
• 12 black olives, chopped
• 2 eggs, for boiling
• 300 g queso fresco, sliced
• 600 g waxy potatoes, peeled
• 3 eggs
• 300 ml evaporated milk
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Pull on a pair of gloves before touching the rocotos, as their oils burn skin badly.
• Cut a lid from the top of each rocoto and set the lids aside.
• Scoop out all the seeds and white veins from inside each pepper.
• Dice the onions finely and mince the garlic.
• Slice the peeled potatoes into rounds about 3 mm thick and keep them in cold water.

Steps

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil with 1 tablespoon of sugar and a third of the vinegar.
2. Drop the hollowed rocotos in and boil them for 3 minutes.
3. Drain the peppers and throw the water away.
4. Repeat that boil twice more, using fresh water, sugar and vinegar each time.
5. Drain the rocotos for the last time and sit them upside down to dry.
6. Boil the two eggs for 9 minutes, cool them under cold water, peel and chop them.
7. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the onion and garlic for 8 minutes until soft and sweet.
8. Stir in the ají panca paste, cumin and oregano and cook for 3 minutes until the mixture darkens.
9. Add the minced beef, breaking up the lumps, and fry for 10 minutes until no pink remains.
10. Stir in the peanuts, raisins, olives and chopped egg, then season firmly with salt and pepper.
11. Take the filling off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
12. Heat the oven to 180C.
13. Pack the filling into each rocoto, pressing it down to the rim.
14. Lay a slice of queso fresco over each opening and set the reserved lid on top.
15. Oil an ovenproof dish and layer the drained potato slices with the remaining cheese, seasoning as you go.
16. Beat the 3 eggs with the evaporated milk and a good pinch of salt, then pour it over the potatoes.
17. Sit the stuffed rocotos in the dish alongside the potato cake, or in a second dish.
18. Bake for 45 minutes, until the potato is tender all the way through and the top is blistered and golden.
19. Rest the dish for 10 minutes, then serve one rocoto per person with a square of the potato cake.