Facts About Papa rellena
Papas rellenas are the most popular type of croquettes in Latin American countries such as Peru, Chile, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, and the Caribbean. The first recorded Latin American recipes were printed in the late 19th century, during a time when French cuisine was influencing those of Latin America.
Peruvian preparation
The dish is a baked potato dough into which a filling made of chopped beef and onions, whole olives, hard-boiled eggs, cumin and other spices is stuffed. Once prepared, the obloid mass is deep-fried. Potato flour is often added to give greater consistency to the dough. In Peru, the dish is usually accompanied with a "salsa criolla", or an ají sauce.
Caribbean variants
They consist of mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned ground meat, various spices then deep fried. The dish varies in preparation and presentation from country to country. Papas rellenas are a local favorite in heavily Cuban-populated American cities such as Miami and Tampa, in which the Cuban version consists of potato balls stuffed with seasoned picadillo.
This dish is also extensively consumed in Puerto Rico, where it is called "relleno de papa". In Puerto Rico papa rellenas are stuffed with cheese, picadillo, or ground meat with cheese. The papas are then coated with raw egg and rolled into cornmeal, corn flour, or bread crumbs.