RECIPE: 'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' PAPAS RELLENAS
Around the age of 16, Luis was introduced to the British rockers of Queen. Mind you, this was Fidel Castro's Cuba, 1993, and no outside information flowed into the country, with the exception of select international music and American movies that were played on Saturday nights on one of the only two TV stations in Cuba.
Luis didn't understand a word that the lead vocalist Freddie Mercury sang or even know that he had died two years prior, but it didn't matter. He responded deeply to the soul-reaching, unparalleled vibrato, the force of nature that was Mercury's voice, and blasted it from his Colonial home on Calle 19 in Havana for the better part of three years. It was then that Luis learned of Mercury's death and in a personal requiem, he stopped playing Queen albums altogether.
Luis didn't understand a word that the lead vocalist Freddie Mercury sang or even know that he had died two years prior, but it didn't matter. He responded deeply to the soul-reaching, unparalleled vibrato, the force of nature that was Mercury's voice, and blasted it from his Colonial home on Calle 19 in Havana for the better part of three years. It was then that Luis learned of Mercury's death and in a personal requiem, he stopped playing Queen albums altogether.
Fast forward to last week, when we saw the biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody," and Mercury's voice, the one that Luis says can translate any human emotion into song, swept him straight back to Havana, mid-nineties.
Inspired, he transported us all back in time with him the next day, cooking a batch of Papas Rellenas (fried stuffed potatoes), a homey, Cuban classic, which he served over an arugula, spinach, avocado and tomato salad while "Bohemian Rhapsody" blared overhead. Luis' joy was palpable and it flowed right on over to our plates.
The crispy, fried potato balls are traditionally stuffed with a savory ground beef mixture, picadillo, but Luis is always on the hunt for the healthiest route possible and substituted with a turkey version. It's one of the most satisfying dishes I've eaten, especially on a cold day, and the kids loved picking them up with their hands and dipping them in a sour cream-BBQ sauce he whipped up on the side.
The recipe calls for the rolled potato rounds to take a dive into bubbling oil, but it's not a heavy dish. Luis fried them just enough to give them a nice brown crust.
When I cut into my papa rellena, steam billowed out. There was down-home, fireside comfort in each bite, and I was impressed by the purity of the flavors. Give it a go and I think you will be too.
Luis' note: He suggests making a double batch of the picadillo to start. You can use half for tacos, or something similar, one night and make the papas rellenas with the other half the following night. That will shave the cook time on this recipe to about 30 minutes, which is totally doable on a busy week night.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" Papa Rellenas
*Makes 12 servings
Ingredients Inspired, he transported us all back in time with him the next day, cooking a batch of Papas Rellenas (fried stuffed potatoes), a homey, Cuban classic, which he served over an arugula, spinach, avocado and tomato salad while "Bohemian Rhapsody" blared overhead. Luis' joy was palpable and it flowed right on over to our plates.
The recipe calls for the rolled potato rounds to take a dive into bubbling oil, but it's not a heavy dish. Luis fried them just enough to give them a nice brown crust.
Luis' note: He suggests making a double batch of the picadillo to start. You can use half for tacos, or something similar, one night and make the papas rellenas with the other half the following night. That will shave the cook time on this recipe to about 30 minutes, which is totally doable on a busy week night.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" Papa Rellenas
*Makes 12 servings
*Luis always suggests buying organic when possible
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a smidge more for boiling potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 eggs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup saltine crackers, ground fine
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
Directions
Cover potatoes in salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes in a bowl with 1/2 tsp of salt. Set aside to cool.
Next, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, green pepper and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in turkey or beef, and cook until it is no longer pink and crumbles. Add the remaining 1 tsp of salt, cumin, pepper, tomato paste and vinegar and stir until all is blended well. Place in a bowl to cool.
Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl, and set aside. Mix the bread crumbs and saltine crackers together, and pour into a shallow dish. Ditto for the flour.
When the potatoes and meat are cool, grab a handful of the potatoes and split into two equal small bowl-shaped pieces. Carve a well in the middle of each side and fill them both with the meat mixture. Bring the two halves together, seal the edges and smooth to make an even round ball. Gently roll the ball in the flour to coat, shake off any excess, and dip it into the egg. Roll the ball in the bread crumb-cracker mix, shake any excess, and place it on a baking sheet until ready to cook. Repeat 11 more times. Refrigerate the potato balls 2 to 4 hours or freeze for later use.
To cook, heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees.
Using tongs to turn the potato balls as they brown on each side, approximately 3 minutes per batch.
Drain on a paper towel-lined plate before serving.
Sour Cream-BBQ Dipping Sauce
Combine 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce.
¡Buen provecho!
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