Daring Cooks March 2011 – Ceviche and Papas Rellenas

This was my second daring cooks challenge and everything came out really well (just like last time). Ceviche I’ve had, but never made before but papas rellenas I’ve never even tried before. For the ceviche I used cod (as a recommendation from the Whole Foods fish counter man) and I was pretty happy with it. I’m not a big fan of cod – when it’s pan cooked it just tastes incredibly bland and rubbery to me. But in the ceviche I did like the taste of it. This dish is not for everyone (D didn’t like it one bit) – it has a very distinct flavor and even if you like it you’re not going to want to eat tons of it. I think it’s perfect in small portions at the beginning of your meal. It is pretty fascinating to actually see the fish “cook” with the help of the lime juice right before your eyes. You can actually see it turning whiter and whiter. I don’t know when I’ll make this again but it was a great experience learning how to. The papas rellenas were absolutely delicious. Definitely time consuming, definitely fussy but absolutely worth it. And instead of salsa I decided to serve them with sour cream : ) For a while I wasn’t sure they’d be any good – I undercooked 1 of the 3 potatoes, forgot to brown the meat before throwing in the raisins, cumin and paprika, and was having difficulty filling the patties then breading them. But regardless of all my errors the papas rellenas were great (and D liked them too).

Ceviche

Recipe from Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes by Annik Franco Barreau

Serves: 2

Start to Finish: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound firm white fish (I used cod)

1/2 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 red chili pepper, chopped

1/4 lime juice (3 limes)

1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped

1/4 red onion, finely sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

1. Wash and trim fish. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a shallow glass/pyrex dish. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Combine lime juice, cilantro, chili pepper and garlic. Pour over the fish, lightly stirring to make sure all fish is exposed to lime juice. Place sliced onion on top of fish.

3. Let fish stand minimum of 10 mins (I let it ‘cook’ for 30 mins) and serve with lettuce and corn.

 

Papas Rellenas

Recipe from The Daring Kitchen

Serves: 4-5

Start to Finish: 2 hours

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes (2 1/2 pounds)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 ground beef

6 black olives, pitted and chopped

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 small onion, finely diced

1/2 cup raisins, soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes, then finely chopped

1 red chili pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine

1 egg, beaten

1 cup flour

1-1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

 

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes until they are soft. Once cooled, peel and mash them with a potato masher. Add egg (raw) salt and pepper to taste, and mix until thoroughly combined.

2. While the potatoes are cooling, making the filling. Heat vegetable and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes then add chili pepper and continue to cook for another couple minutes.

3. Add ground beef and brown.

4.Add raisins, cumin, and paprika and cook for a few seconds.

5. Deglaze pan with wine.

6. Add olives, mix, and remove pan from heat.

7. Fold in chopped eggs. Wait for filling to cooling before forming papas.

8. Have 3 bowls ready, 1 filled with flour, 1 filled with beaten egg, 1 filled with panko breadcrumbs.

9. Scoop out some of the potato dough and make a flat round patty with your hand. Spoon filling into the center and roll the potato closed. Repeat with all dough (I ended up with 11 papas).

10. Heat 2 inches of oil in a pan to 350-375 degrees F.

11. Dip the papas in the flour, then the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs.

12. Fry 3-4 minutes, or until browned. Flip in the middle of frying to make sure it cooks evenly. Drain on paper towels. Serve with salsa (I served them with sour cream).