Cheese-Filled Ecuadorian Potato Cakes with Peanut Sauce and Tomato-Onion Salad

These Ecuadorean potato cakes get their color and aroma from ground achiote and cumin, and each one hides a molten cheese filling beneath a crisp, pan-fried crust. The dish is completed by two traditional partners: salsa de maní, a velvety peanut sauce, and a salad of diced tomatoes and sliced red onion. The contrast — starchy, soft potatoes; gooey cheese; an earthy, nutty sauce; and a tart, juicy salad — is what makes this well-loved Ecuadorian specialty so deeply satisfying.

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the Llapingachos

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon ground achiote
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces queso fresco or queso criollo, shredded (low-moisture mozzarella or Monterey Jack also works — see the notes below)
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the Salsa de Maní (Peanut Sauce)

• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup natural unsweetened creamy peanut butter (see the notes below)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground achiote
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime

For the Tomato-Red Onion Salad

• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 small vine-ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Start the potatoes. Place them in a large saucepan and add cold water until they are covered by roughly an inch. Salt the water generously, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are completely tender and a fork slides in easily, 10 to 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly, move them to a large bowl, and mash until smooth.
2. Bloom the spices. While the potatoes cook, warm the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Stir in the achiote and cumin and cook until aromatic and the spices have opened up, about 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat.
3. Season the mash. Stir the spiced butter, the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into the mashed potatoes until everything is evenly incorporated and the mixture turns a vivid yellow. Leave it at room temperature until it is cool enough to handle.
4. Begin the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and peanut butter together until smooth; this step helps the peanut butter blend evenly into the sauce.
5. Build the base. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the achiote, cumin, red onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the serrano and cook 1 minute longer.
6. Finish the sauce. Pour in the peanut butter mixture and stir until smooth and well blended. Stir in 1/4 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. If needed, add more water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until the sauce is thick but still pourable. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm; if the sauce thickens while it sits, stir in a splash of water just before serving.
7. Make the salad. In a medium bowl, combine the cilantro, olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and red onion. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper, then toss gently. Let it sit while you finish the llapingachos.
8. Form and fill the cakes. Divide the cooled potato mixture into 12 portions, each about a heaping 1/4 cup, and roll each into a ball. One at a time, press your thumb into the center of a ball to make a deep well. Put about 1 tablespoon of the shredded cheese inside. Pinch the potato mixture up and around the cheese so it is completely enclosed, then gently press and flatten into a patty about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture and cheese.
9. Fry them. Heat about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the llapingachos in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook without turning until the undersides are deeply golden and crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook until the second side is golden and crisp, about 1 minute more. Move them to a platter and sprinkle lightly with salt. Wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining llapingachos, adding more oil between batches as needed.
10. Serve. Plate the llapingachos warm, spoon the tomato-red onion salad over the top, and drizzle with the salsa de maní.

Notes

Traditionally, llapingachos are stuffed with a fresh Ecuadorian cheese such as queso fresco or queso criollo — mild, milky and lightly salty. If those are hard to find, shredded Monterey Jack or low-moisture mozzarella are good stand-ins; they share that gentle flavor and melt into a pleasingly gooey center. For the salsa de maní, use natural unsweetened creamy peanut butter. Creamy and slightly textured styles both work, but the creamy type yields the smoothest sauce and comes closest to what is used in Ecuador. Stir the peanut butter thoroughly before measuring so any separated oil is worked back in. Natural peanut butter also keeps the sauce on the savory side, letting the achiote, cumin, lime and cilantro come through clearly.