Llapingachos, (yah-peen-GAH-chos) or stuffed potato patties are a traditional
Ecuadorian dish. To finally celebrate our new adventure (which was postponed
due to the plague we both contracted in Iowa), we wanted to eat Ecuadorian
food. Justin, the one of us who cooks in the relationship, found a recipe for
these lovely little stuffed potato balls. Little did he know that such a
seemingly simple dish would require a great deal of grocery shopping and hours
(5 of them to be exact) of preparation. I will now simplify this process for
you: First, mash potatoes and season. Next, shape mashed potatoes into balls.
Then, stuff the potato balls with shredded white cheese and chopped green
onions. Finally, fry them in a skillet and drizzle with homemade peanut sauce
(this part sounds weird, but trust me it’s a nice pairing). Oh yeah, and then
serve it with a side salad and fried egg. Fried eggs, potatoes, and cheese.
What’s not to love here??
When I arrived
home from work, I found Justin in the kitchen, wearing his Ecuador World Cup
t-shirt, slaving over a hot stove while Ecuadorian street music, yes that’s
actually a station on Pandora, played in the background. Two hours later the
llapingachos were finally ready to eat and we sat down to our authentic
Ecuadorian celebratory meal. We gorged ourselves on these warm and cheesy
potato patties, toasted with glasses of Andre, the finest $7 champagne this
side of the equator, and shared some of our hopes and wishes for our new home
and jobs. It was indeed a lovely meal and a much overdue celebration.
Turns out,
llapingachos also make a great breakfast the next day. And a pretty nice
lunch the day after that. The recipe is enough to feed a family. For those of
you playing at home, I’ve included a recipe so you too can make your very own llapingachos. Salud!
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