From Ecuador, llapingachos are fried potato and cheese cakes, served with a peanut sauce, coriander and chopped salsa, with quick pickled red onions and extra chilli for those who want it. This is exciting, bright cooking – the kind that is very likely to form long-standing addictions. I’ve said it before: be bold with the chilli – the potatoes can take it. The llapingachos are very soft to move from pan to plate, so use a good-size fish slice or something similar.
Serves 4
floury potatoes 1kg, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
vegetable oil
red onions 2 small, peeled, 1 finely chopped, 1 thinly sliced
ground paprika 2 tsp
cheddar 100g, grated
plain flour 1 tbsp, plus extra for dusting
unsweetened peanut butter 75g
whole milk 50ml
ground cumin ½ tsp
lime juice of 1
tomatoes 2 ripe, finely chopped
coriander a small bunch, leaves picked and finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
to serve quick pickled onions (see below) and chilli sauce or sliced green chilli (optional)
For the quick pickled onions
red onion 1, peeled and very finely sliced
lime juice of ½
salt
For the pickled onions, place the sliced onion in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes, then drain. Return the drained onion to the bowl and pour over the lime juice. Add salt to taste before serving.
Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water for 15-20 minutes, until just tender, then drain well and leave to steam dry in the pan for about 5 minutes.
Put a good measure of oil in a frying pan to generously coat the base. Place over a moderate heat and add the chopped onion and the paprika and fry for about 8-10 minutes, until the onion is soft. Put to one side.
Tip the potatoes into a bowl and roughly mash. Mix in half the fried onion mixture, then the cheese and flour, and season with salt to taste. Cover and put to one side.
In a food processor, blend the peanut butter with the remaining fried onion mixture, the milk and the cumin to form a sauce-like consistency. Cook in a small pan over a very gentle heat for about 5 minutes to warm and thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Mix the sliced onion with the lime juice and a good pinch of salt. Leave to macerate for at least 2 minutes. Mix in the tomatoes and coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and put to one side.
Make small golf-ball-size balls with the potato mixture and flatten each into a patty shape. Dust the potatoes in flour and shallow-fry in a little oil over a moderate heat for about 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Be careful as you turn the patties over – they will be very delicate. Serve topped with the peanut sauce, tomato and onion salad and quick pickled onions. Add chilli sauce or sliced green chilli, if you like.
From New Kitchen Basics: 10 essential ingredients, 120 recipes by Claire Thomson (Quadrille, £25)
