Rocoto relleno
Rocotos (fleshy hot peppers) stuffed with beef, peanuts and olives, topped with cheese and baked. It’s the dish of Arequipa’s picanterías, with potato gratin on the side.
Ingredients
- 6 rocotos (or small red peppers and a little chilli)
- 400 g minced beef
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of ají panca paste
- 50 g chopped roasted peanuts
- 6 black olives
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 200 g fresh or melting cheese, sliced
- 200 ml milk and 1 egg
- Cumin, oregano, salt and sugar
How to make it at home
- Cut the tops off the rocotos and remove the seeds and veins. Boil them three times in water with salt, sugar and vinegar, changing the water, to take away the heat.
- Fry the onion and garlic with the ají panca, add the meat and spices and cook for 15 minutes. Add the peanuts.
- Stuff the rocotos with the meat, a piece of hard-boiled egg and an olive.
- Cover with cheese, put their tops back on and place them in a dish.
- Pour over the milk beaten with the egg and bake at 180 °C for about 30 minutes.
The trick: The three boilings are necessary if you’re using real rocoto: it’s very hot.