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1
Boil the Potato and Pumpkin
15 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Put the cubed potatoes and pumpkin in a large pot with the water and half the salt. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the largest potato cube.
Starting the vegetables in cold water and bringing them up together cooks them evenly.
Done when: The potato and pumpkin are tender all the way through; the water has turned lightly golden.
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2
Brown the Beef With Onion and Spices
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 180°C (350°F)
While the vegetables boil, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the onion for 3 minutes until soft, then add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 5 minutes until browned all over. Stir in the garlic, red pepper, carrot, cumin, paprika, oregano, black pepper and the rest of the salt and fry for 2 minutes more, until fragrant.
Break the mince into small pieces as it browns — big clumps never mix into the mash.
Done when: The beef is browned and crumbly; the spices smell warm and the onion is soft.
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3
Combine and Simmer the Vegetables In
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Tip the browned beef and onion into the pot with the potatoes and pumpkin, along with the corn, green beans and any cooking liquid from the pan. Stir well, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the carrot and green beans are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil breaks the vegetables to mush before the flavours have met.
Done when: The vegetables are tender, the pot smells of cumin and oregano, and the mixture is thick, not soupy.
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4
Mash Lightly and Stir in the Peas
5 Mins
Low heat, about 90°C (195°F)
Take the pot off the heat. Press a potato masher down into the mixture 8 to 10 times — just enough to crush the potatoes and pumpkin into a thick, rough mash, leaving plenty of chunks and whole kernels visible. Stir in the peas and let them warm through in the residual heat for 2 minutes.
Mash lightly on purpose: charquican should be thick and chunky, never smooth like mashed potato.
Done when: The mash is thick and holds its shape on a spoon, with corn, peas and green beans still visible.
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5
Fry the Eggs
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 170°C (340°F)
Wipe out the frying pan, add a little oil if needed, and fry the eggs over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks are still runny. Season each egg with a pinch of salt.
A lid on the pan for the last minute sets the white over the yolk without flipping.
Done when: The whites are set and the yolks are bright and runny — they will run into the mash when cut.
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6
Serve in Deep Bowls
5 Mins
No heat
Spoon the hot mash into deep bowls, make a small well in the centre of each one and slide a fried egg on top. Serve at once, with a tomato and onion salad on the side and crusty bread for scooping.
Serve the bowls hot — the mash cools fast once it leaves the pot.
Done when: Each bowl has a golden egg sitting on a steaming mound of mash; the yolk runs when the egg is cut.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the bowls hot, with the fried egg on top and the yolk left runny so it coats the mash. Charquican is eaten with a spoon and a piece of bread — the bread is for the last spoonfuls, not a side dish.
Chile
35m
