rocoto relleno

Rocoto relleno fills rocoto chillies with a seasoned meat mixture and bakes them. It is associated with Arequipa and is often accompanied by the region’s potato gratin. Blanca Chávez’s recipe uses finely chopped beef with onion, ají panca, peanuts, olives, hard-boiled egg, raisins and herbs. The chilli tops are reserved as lids for the filled peppers.^[1]

The chillies are hollowed out and blanched before filling. Chávez cooks the beef mixture separately, places it inside the peppers, and adds egg and evaporated milk before baking. Her accompanying gratin layers boiled potato slices with fresh white cheese and aniseed, then adds an egg-and-milk mixture. Other cooks may use ground beef, chicken or prawns in the filling.^[1]