Stuffed Rocoto Peppers (Rocoto Relleno)
Rocoto relleno Say it: roh-KOH-toh reh-YEH-noh
Rocoto relleno is Arequipa's beloved starter: thick-walled rocoto peppers—the Andean chili with black seeds and a fruity, slow-building heat—hollowed out, blanched to tame their fire, and packed with a savory hash of beef, aji panca, peanuts, raisins and hard-boiled egg. Each pepper is capped with cheese and baked in a light milk custard until golden. The result is spicy, rich and faintly sweet, a picantería classic served at lunch, usually alongside a slice of pastel de papa.
Stuffed Rocoto Peppers (Rocoto Relleno)
Rocoto relleno
Pronounced roh-KOH-toh reh-YEH-noh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Level
- Medium
Allergens: contains peanuts, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Peppers
Filling
Topping
Method
Cut a small lid from the top of each rocoto around the stem and scoop out the seeds and white veins with a spoon, keeping the walls intact. Reserve the lids.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the sugar, vinegar and salt. Drop in the peppers and lids and blanch for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water to tame the heat. Pat them dry inside and out.
Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, aji panca paste, oregano, cumin and a pinch of salt, and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened.
Raise the heat, add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the peanuts, raisins and hard-boiled egg, then taste and season with salt and pepper; the filling should be moist but not runny.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spoon the filling into the peppers, packing it gently, and stand them upright in a baking dish just large enough to hold them snugly. Set the lids back on.
Whisk the eggs with the milk, 1/4 tsp salt and a grind of pepper, and pour the mixture around the base of the peppers. Lay a slice of cheese over each one.
Bake until the custard is just set and the cheese is melted with golden spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving so the custard firms up.
Regional variants
Outside Peru, red bell peppers or poblanos stand in for rocoto, and some cooks add peas, chopped carrot or black olives to the beef hash. In Lima the dish is sometimes served with white rice instead of the potato cake.
Cook's notes
- Rocoto heat varies enormously from pepper to pepper; after blanching, taste a sliver and simmer the rest a few minutes longer if it is still fierce.
- If you use bell peppers, stir 1 minced hot red chili or 1 tsp aji amarillo paste into the filling to mimic the rocoto's gentle burn.
- Do not overpack the peppers—a bursting pepper leaks filling and makes the custard soggy.
Serve with
A slice of pastel de papa (potato and cheese cake) and a glass of chicha morada or an ice-cold beer, as in Arequipa.
Make ahead and storage
Cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat covered at 325°F (165°C) for about 20 minutes with a splash of milk.
