Tacu Tacu

Ingredients

• 400 g cooked canary beans, drained
• 500 g cooked white rice, cold
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp ají amarillo paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 1 ají limo or red chilli, finely sliced
• juice of 2 limes
• small handful coriander, chopped
• salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Drain the cooked beans and mash half of them roughly with a fork, leaving the rest whole.
• Break up the cold cooked rice with your fingers so there are no clumps.
• Dice one red onion finely and mince the garlic.
• Slice the second red onion as finely as you can for the salsa criolla.
• Chop the coriander and slice the ají limo into thin rings.

Steps

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
2. Fry the diced onion and garlic for 7 minutes until soft and sweet.
3. Stir in the ají amarillo paste and oregano and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add all the beans, both mashed and whole, and press them into the sofrito for 2 minutes.
5. Fold in the cold rice and season the mixture well with salt and pepper.
6. Cook for 4 minutes, pressing and turning with a spatula, until it holds together in one mass.
7. Tip the mixture onto a board and divide it into four.
8. Shape each portion into a tight rugby-ball log with your hands.
9. Wipe the pan clean and heat 2 tablespoons of fresh oil over medium-high heat.
10. Fry two logs at a time for 3 minutes a side, until a firm brown crust forms all over.
11. Toss the sliced onion, ají limo, coriander, lime juice and a pinch of salt together for the salsa criolla.
12. Fry the eggs in the last of the oil until the whites are set and the edges are lacy.
13. Sit a fried egg on each tacu tacu and pile the salsa criolla over the top.