COOKING WITH POTATO IN SPANISH AMERICA

RECIPES FROM SPANISH AMERICA

This post is for FTSF Blog Hop, that’s Finish The Sentence Friday! 

Each week, the group of Bloggers I belong to, provides a prompt with an unfinished sentence that we writers use as inspiration. This week, the sentence and my version of it is the following:

Speaking from experience, I’m going to give you a little advice on ….  Cooking with potatoes, South American style!

In a previous post, I wrote about the Potato as a Gift from Spanish America. (Link provided). 

The potato began its career about 8,000 years ago on the shores of Lake Titicaca, high up in the Andes Mountains of South America. From there it began to develop into an important agricultural crop, to such an extent that by the time the Inca Empire rose to power about the year 1000 AD, corn and potatoes were the main staples of their diet. About 400 years ago, the potato started its voyage to international fame, when it was exported to Europe, taken there by the various explorers.

It is fitting therefore, to discover several specific and typical dishes from Spanish America that are based on the use of potatoes, and that have achieved international fame.

For this post I have chosen three of these dishes: 

• Locro de Papas

• Papas a la Huancaína

• Milcao or Milkao

Before I write about each one, I must tell you that I don’t cook; my contribution is in the eating!  And I can recommend these dishes, you’ll love them! Two of the recipes have been provided by some of my friends, who swear by them, and the other one is from YouTube, also tried out by my friends! I hope you will try them and enjoy!

LOCRO DE PAPAS.

Source:  J.Miers. CC BY SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons

This is the famous Potato and Cheese soup from the Andean region of South America.  As the name implies, the main ingredients are potato and cheese, but you must have “queso fresco”, which I believe is also known as feta.

The recipe varies from place to place in this vast area, but the basics are shown here:

Serves 6 to 8

Olive oil.  1 onion, diced.  1 1/2 pounds potatoes, diced (this is aprox. 4 fist-fulls). Just all purpose potatoes will do. 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.  2 teaspoons dried oregano.  Small flakes of chili.  4 cups chicken or vegetable stock.  2 ears of corn, kernels chopped off (or 2 cups frozen corn). 1 cup peas.  1very full cup queso fresco, diced.  1 cup whole milk. Salt. Pepper.

Warm a teaspoon or two of oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add onion and cook until transparent and slightly golden (5 to 8 min.) Add potatoes and some salt, cook until potatoes are just turning tender (about 5 minutes).

Add garlic, oregano and some cayenne. After a few seconds, when garlic becomes fragrant, stir the spices into the onions and potatoes. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add corn kernels, peas, queso fresco and milk. Bring back to simmer (not boil) and cook for about 5 minutes more. Corn and peas must be tender. Add salt and pepper as needed. You can also add a garnish of avocado slices.

You can keep this soup in the fridge for about a week! Enjoy!

PAPAS A LA HUANCAINA

Source: morrissey. CC BY 2.0.Flickr

This dish is from Peru and is usually served cold as a starter over lettuce leaves. Here is the video from YouTube. Enjoy!

MILCAO OR MILKAO

Source: Lin linao CC BY SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons

These are a type of potato patty cake from the Islands of Chiloé in the south of Chile. They are usually served with the famous dish called “curanto” a sort of stew that is cooked underground over hot rocks, but they can also be used on their own. 

To make milcao you combine mashed potatoes with raw ones: in this way the mash keeps the patty from falling to pieces when fried.

Prep. Time: about 15 minutes. Cook time: about 20 minutes. Yields about 12 large potato patties.

12 medium potatoes. 3 tablespoons of lard or vegetable shortening, not hard frozen! 1 tablespoon butter.  Vegetable oil for frying. Salt.

Put half the potatoes (not peeled) in a boiling salted water and cook until very tender when pierced.  Drain potatoes, cool and peel. Mash with the butter and add salt to taste.

Peel the remaining potatoes and grate finely, until almost completely ground (People from Chiloé use a volcanic rock for this). Wrap grated potatoes in a dish cloth and squeeze to remove water as thoroughly as possible.

Mix 1 cup of grated potatoes with one cup of mashed. Add a tablespoon of lard and blend with your hands to form a smooth dough. Continue adding the potatoes in equal parts, blending with lard to keep consistency of smooth dough. Shape dough into round patties. Heat the frying oil in a deep skillet, at least 2 inches of oil. Temp. 360ª. 

Drop patties in hot oil and cook until dark golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

So enjoy!

FINAL IDEAS

I think the so called civilized world has a lot to be grateful for based on the presents that have had their origin in the different areas of Spanish America. 

The potato has had far reaching effects on the historical development of the nations through history. Just think about the “potato famine” and its consequences!

In brief, the humble potato is not so humble! It has kept families alive and it has fed hungry armies!

SPANISH VERSION

(This Blog is bilingual)

Este post es una contribución para un Blog Hop que usa la sigla FTSF.

El tema para esta semana consiste en recomendar algo por experiencia personal.

Elegí escribir sobre tres famosas recetas para cocinar platos en base a la papa, ese humilde tubérculo que nació en las altas montañas de los Andes cercanos al gran Lago Titicaca tantos siglos en el pasado.

En un post anterior describí la papa como un regalo de la América Hispana  (El link respectivo se puede activar en la sección en inglés).

En una apretada síntesis, la papa comenzó su desarrollo unos 8000 años atrás, transformándose lentamente en un importante elemento del cultivo agrícola. Cuando se inicia el poderío del gran Imperio de los Incas, alrededor del año 1000 AD, la alimentación se sustentaba principalmente en la producción del maíz y de la papa. Han pasado unos 400 años desde que la papa inició su viaje hacia otras tierras para adquirir finalmente la fama internacional que se merece.

Es por tanto muy apropiado descubrir los diversos platos típicos de la América Hispana cuyo ingrediente principal es la papa

En esta oportunidad elegí tres de estos platos, a saber:

• Locro de Papas

• Papas a la huancaína

• Milcao o Milkao

Debo indicar que yo no cocino, ¡sólo me ofrezco para comer! Después de saborearlos, puedo recomendar estos platos en base a mi experiencia. ¡Son muy ricos!  Dos de las recetas provienen de mis amistades que me aseguran que dan buenos resultados. La tercera nos llega por vía de un video de YouTube, que también ha sido probada por mis amistades. ¡A disfrutar, entonces!

LOCRO DE PAPAS

Se refiere a una famosa sopa de Papas y Queso que es típica de la región Andina de América del Sur. El queso debe ser  “queso fresco”. Esta receta varía un tanto de un lugar a otro, pero lo básico es siempre similar. No voy a reproducir la receta, se puede leer bastante bien en su versión en inglés.

PAPAS A LA HUANCAÍNA

 

Es un plato bastante típico del Perú. Se sirve como plato frío de entrada sobre hojas de lechuga. Se muestra el video, que lo indica todo con claridad.

MILCAO o MILKAO

Se trata de unos quequitos de papa que constituyen un importante elemento en la cocina de las Islas de Chiloé en el sur de Chile. Generalmente acompañan al famoso “curanto” un guiso que se cocina bajo tierra sobre piedras calientes, pero también pueden saborearse solos, con alguna salsa picante. 

La receta se entiende bastante bien en la versión en inglés. Lo más importante es que se combina una porción de papa cocida hecha puré, con otra porción igual de papa cruda y molida bien finamente. Se hace una masa suave con las manos, ligando todo con manteca de cerdo.

A disfrutar!

ALGUNAS CONCLUSIONES

La papa es un valioso obsequio dela América Hispana para las demás naciones del mundo. ¡Ha servido para alimentar a familias enteras y también ha nutrido los ejércitos!

¡La humilde papa no es reamente  tan humilde!

More about similar topics in a future post.      Más sobre temas similares en un próximo post.

LANGUAGE TIPS FOR ENGLISH

Words that go together!  * Make an effort   - * Catch a ball   - * Break a promise   - * Take notes   – * Pay interest

LANGUAGE TIPS FOR SPANISH.

Expresiones de uso frecuente: * Tener un as en la manga  - * Revelar un secreto  - * Quien siembra vientos recoge tempestades 

How is your level of comprehension?     ¿Cómo está su nivel de comprensión?

© 2013  joanveronica  (Joan Robertson)

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