Rellenos de Papa Puerto Rican Style
Papas rellenas are the most popular type of croquettes in Latin American regions such as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and the Caribbean. The first printed Latin American recipes date to the late 19th century, during a time when French cuisine was influencing the region.
Caribbean variants
They consist of mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned ground meat, various spices then deep fried. The dish varies in preparation and presentation from country to country. Papas rellenas are a local favorite in heavily Cuban-populated American cities such as Miami and Tampa, in which the Cuban version consists of potato balls stuffed with seasoned picadillo.
This dish is also extensively consumed in Puerto Rico, where it is called "relleno de papa". In Puerto Rico the potatoes are boiled and then mashed with eggs, cornstarch, milk, and butter. Papa rellenas are stuffed with cheese, picadillo, or choice of meat. The papa rellenas are then coated with egg wash, and rolled into cornmeal or bread crumbs before frying. The potatoes can be replaced with sweet plantains (relleno de maduros) or breadfruit (relleno de panapén).
Why are my potato balls falling apart?
Two reasons the potato balls fall apart as soon as they hit the oil is because they (1) aren't cold enough, or (2) because they have too many eggs. Try keeping them in the fridge for about 1 hour or until they are nice a cold, so they would hold their shape.
Make it
Rellenos de Papa Puerto Rican Style
Ingredients:
2 Lbs of Potatoes.
1 Lb of Picadillo or Cooked ground beef
1 Tbs of corn starch
1 tsp of salt
3 eggs
Italian style bread crumbs
Frying oil
Instructions:
Boil potatoes with 1 TSB of salt, until soft and tender
Once the potatoes are done, make mash potatoes
let the potatoes cool off for 25 minutes in the fridge
Once the potatoes are cool to the touch, add 1 Tsb of starch and 1 raw egg
mix it well and form the potato into round spheres one at a time in your hands
After shaped into a ball, make a dent and stuff with ground beef "picadillo"
Have your egg wash ready with 2 eggs and your bread crumbs in a mixing bowl
coat each potato ball with your egg wash, then move each one at a time into your bread crumbs
Fry them on medium-high heat until golden brown.
Enjoy your Rellenos de Papa Puerto Rican Style
Pasta Salad
Pernil Roasted Pork Shoulder