(Papas Rellenas De Picadillo) Meat-Stuffed Potato Croquettes |
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Prep Time: 60 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Minutes |
Ready In: 62 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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There is a wonderful Cuban bakery in Glendale, California called Porto's where I first tasted these. They are so delicious, and I was lucky enough to find a recipe for them in a Saveur magazine article about Cuba. You can't eat just one! NOTE: You only need 1 cup of the picadillo for the croquettes, so you will have a lot left over. The 6 servings apply only to the potato croquettes. You can serve the leftover picadillo over rice or make more of the potato mixture to make more croquettes. Ingredients:
3 lbs ground beef |
10 garlic cloves, peeled and minced |
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped |
2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped |
25 pitted green olives, chopped |
1/2 cup raisins |
3 tablespoons capers, drained |
2 bay leaves |
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin |
1 teaspoon dried oregano |
1 cup tomato sauce |
1/2 cup dry sherry |
3 tablespoons olive oil |
salt |
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered |
salt |
3 eggs, separated |
1 pinch nutmeg |
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced |
vegetable oil |
1 cup breadcrumbs |
Directions:
1. PICADILLO FILLING: Mix together beef, garlic, peppers, scallions, olives, raisins, capers, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, tomato sauce, and sherry in a bowl. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with the back of a spoon, for 30-40 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Remove bay leaves.
2. CROQUETTES: Put potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold salted water, and simmer over medium heat until soft, 25-30 minutes. Drain, then mash with a potato masher until smooth. Set aside to cool. Beat yolks into potatoes one at a time, add nutmeg and parsley, and season to taste with salt. Whisk whites in a bowl just until soft peaks form, then set aside.
3. Take 1 cup of the picadillo mixture. Oil palms of your hands, then shape 1/4 cup of potato mixture into a ball. Make an indentation in the center of the ball, then flatten it into a 4'' concave disk about 1/2'' thick. Fill center with 1 tablespoon picadillo. Cup potato mixture up and around filling. Pinch together to seal, reshaping to form a smooth ball. Dip ball into beaten egg whites, then into bread crumbs. Repeat process with remaining potato mixture and picadillo.
4. Pour oil into a deep skillet to a depth of 2'' and heat until about 350° on a candy thermometer. Fry fritters in batches until golden brown on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
5. NOTE: Don't be frightened by the calorie count, since the amount is being calculated based on the whole picadillo recipe, not just the 1 cup needed for filling the croquettes.
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