ROCOTO RELLENO
One of the most iconic dishes in Peruvian cuisine is rocoto relleno, which consists of a very spicy pepper (scientifically known as Capsicum pubescens) shaped like an apple and stuffed with meat. This dish is one of the most popular in the diverse culinary landscape of the “White City” of Arequipa, named for its buildings made of sillar, a white volcanic stone.
Peru has a wide variety of peppers, among them rocoto is one of the spiciest. The rocoto has been known since pre-Inca times, with ancient Peruvians using it to season their food. To prepare rocoto relleno, the seeds and veins are removed, and it is served as an appetizer, almost always accompanied by pastel de papa (potato gratin). It is quite popular and highly sought after by Peruvians and foreigners who try it.
Peruvian cuisine is recognized worldwide for its flavor and variety of dishes, and rocoto relleno lives up to these expectations. It represents a heritage of pre-Inca roots and the fusion that took place with European and Asian cuisines.
According to legend, Rocoto relleno has a unique origin, dating back to the period between 1728 and 1805. The legend says that a cook named Manuel de Masías from Arequipa went to hell to recover the soul of his daughter Delphine, who had been taken by the devil himself. They reached an agreement: to free her, he had to prepare a banquet for Lucifer. The feast included several dishes rich in flavor, but what caught the devil’s attention was the rocoto relleno due to its delicious and extraordinary taste. They say that upon tasting it, he released Manuel’s daughter, turning her into an angel.
RECIPE FOR ROCOTO RELLENO
Adapted from the recipe by Picantería La Nueva Palomino, Arequipa (serves 10)
Ingredients
10 large rocotos
1 kilogram of chopped beef
4 large onions, diced
50 grams of toasted, ground peanuts
4 tablespoons of ground ají panca (soaked and blended with two cloves of garlic and cumin)
50 grams of crushed vanilla crackers
100 grams of golden raisins
100 grams of olives
2 hard-boiled eggs
3 eggs
1 cup of evaporated milk
Oregano, chopped parsley, salt, pepper
Preparation of the Rocotos
Cut off the tops of the rocotos. Remove the veins, and soak them in water. Rinse each rocoto three times. In a pot, boil water with salt and sugar, add the rocotos and their tops, and let them boil. Change the water, add salt and sugar, and bring to a boil again. Repeat once more until the rocotos are more than half-cooked. Avoid overcooking them, as they may fall apart. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Preparation of the Filling
Cook the ají panca with a bit of water, add oil, and let it brown. Add the meat, oregano, pepper, and salt. Once the meat is tender, add the onions and broth. Once cooked, add chopped parsley, peanuts, crushed crackers, and raisins (previously soaked in hot water).
Stuffing the Rocotos
Fill the rocotos with the stuffing, ensuring each has raisins, olives, and hard-boiled egg. Place a slice of cheese on top and cover with the rocoto lid. Beat the whites of two eggs to stiff peaks, then add the yolks. Place the rocotos in a dish with oil, add a slice of cheese on top, and spoon a bit of the beaten egg onto each cheese slice. Dilute the evaporated milk with the three eggs, season with a bit of salt, and pour it around the edges of the dish (not over the rocotos). Place the dish in the oven until the egg mixture is golden and the milk sets.