relleno de Papa
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Yield: 12 rellenos de papa
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb russet potatoes
½ cup butter
1 egg
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 lb of ground beef, or 5 large caps of portobello mushrooms, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sofrito
⅔ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp canned pimientos morrones
½ tsp vinegar
2 tbsp sazón
1 tbsp adobo
½ tsp ground oregano
¼ cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of flour for surface and hands
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Peel the potatoes and cube into 1” chunks. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Strain the water, remove the cooked potatoes into a mixing bowl and mash them until smooth. Add the beaten egg, butter, cornstarch, tbsp of sazón, and mix until combined. Place the bowl in the fridge until the dough mixture fully cools down.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan or caldero. Add in the sofrito, the chopped onions, and the minced garlic. Sauté until the onion turns translucent (3-5 minutes). Drop in either the ground beef or diced mushrooms, season with a generous pinch of salt and a few cracks of fresh black pepper, and cook until the beef browns or the mushrooms soften. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool for around 10 minutes.
3. Remove the mashed potato dough from the fridge to start assembling the rellenos de papa. After rubing some flour into your hands, spoon about ¼ cup of dough into your palm and shape it into a flat disk. Add about a tablespoon of your filling to the center of the dough and then fold it over and form into a ball. Repeat until you’re out of ingredients, adding more flour to your hands as needed to avoid sticking.
4. Working in batches, fry the rellenos de papa in hot (375°F) oil at least 1” deep for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown all over. Let them cool, then serve with some mayoketchup for dipping.
