Crisp potatoes stuffed with spiced beef and pecans

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  2 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 750 g sebago potatoes, peeled, chopped
• 750 g beef brisket
• 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp aji amarillo paste (see Note)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 100 g (⅔ cup) raisins, chopped
• 90 g (¾ cup) pecans, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 50 g (⅓ cup) plain flour
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil
• 2 soft-boiled eggs
• baby herbs (see Note), to serve

Parsley and black olive topping

• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 160 g (1 cup) sun-dried black olives, seeded, finely chopped
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil

Chilling time 2 hours

DRINK 2010 Rio Mendoza Estate Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Instructions

Place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, then place in the fridge for 2 hours or until cold.

Meanwhile, place beef in a large pan with stock, onion, garlic, aji amarillo paste, spices, raisins, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and 500 ml water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1½ hours or until almost all the liquid has evaporated and beef is meltingly tender. Stir in pecans and cool for 30 minutes. Shred beef using 2 forks, then toss with juices and pecans. Set aside.

To make the topping, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Season and set aside.

Stir beaten egg into the cold mashed potato until combined. Using floured hands, place 2 x ¼ cup mounds of mashed potato onto a sheet of baking paper. Flatten each mound to a 10 cm-patty. Place 1 potato patty in one hand and top with ¼ cup beef mixture. Place remaining potato patty on top and mould around beef into an oblong shape. Repeat with remaining mashed potato and beef mixture to make 4 stuffed potatoes.

Place flour in a shallow bowl and gently toss stuffed potatoes in flour to coat.

Cover the base of a large frying pan with baking paper, add 2 tbsp oil and heat over high heat. Add 2 stuffed potatoes and cook for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Repeat with remaining 2 tbsp oil and stuffed potatoes.

Cut stuffed potatoes in half and serve with half a soft-boiled egg, baby herbs and the parsley and black olive topping.

Note

• Aji amarillo is a yellow chilli paste available from Fireworks Foods and International Groceries. Alternatively, blanch 2 yellow cayenne chillies in boiling water. Peel and deseed. Process in a blender with 1 long green chilli and 50 ml olive oil until combined. Season with salt.

• Baby herbs are from selected greengrocers.

Photography by Alan Benson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.