Locro de Papa Quiteño

Ingredients

• 1 kg floury potatoes, peeled
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground annatto (achiote)
• 1.2 litres water or light vegetable stock
• 300 ml whole milk
• 200 g queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• Small handful coriander, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Aji criollo hot sauce, to serve

Before you cook

• Peel all the potatoes and keep them in cold water.
• Cut half the potatoes into thin slices about three millimetres thick.
• Cut the other half into two centimetre dice.
• Chop the onion and garlic finely.
• Crumble the cheese and slice the avocado just before serving.

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, cumin and annatto, then cook for eight minutes until the onion is soft and the butter has turned bright orange.
3. Drain the thinly sliced potatoes and stir them into the refrito.
4. Cook the slices for five minutes, stirring, so they take on the colour and begin to soften at the edges.
5. Pour in the water or stock and add the salt.
6. Bring to a boil, then simmer for twenty minutes until the thin slices have broken down and thickened the broth.
7. Add the diced potatoes and simmer for a further ten minutes, until they are tender but still holding together.
8. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and pour in the milk.
9. Warm the soup for three minutes without letting it boil, or the milk will split.
10. Stir in half the crumbled cheese and let it melt into the broth.
11. Season with the black pepper and taste for salt.
12. Ladle into bowls and top each one with the remaining cheese, slices of avocado and chopped coriander.
13. Put the aji criollo on the table for people to add themselves.