Air-Fryer Ecuadorian Llapingacho Cheese Potato Cakes

Grand Tour Recipe

Air-Fryer Ecuadorian Llapingacho Cheese Potato Cakes

Make Air-Fryer Ecuadorian Llapingacho Cheese Potato Cakes with measured UK ingredients, practical air-fryer timings and bold Grand Tour flavour.

Llapingachos are Ecuadorian potato patties coloured with achiote and filled with melting cheese. Crisp outside and soft within, they are usually served with peanut sauce, salad and sometimes egg or sausage.

The air fryer sets the cakes without the usual frying pan and keeps the cheese safely in the middle. A warm peanut sauce adds the rich, savoury finish that turns good potato cakes into proper llapingachos.

Air-Fryer Ecuadorian Llapingacho Cheese Potato Cakes
Air-Fryer Ecuadorian Llapingacho Cheese Potato Cakes preparation stage

You’ll Need

For the Potato Cakes
800g floury potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp achiote paste
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp cornflour
150g mozzarella, cut into 8 pieces
½ tsp sea salt

For the Peanut Sauce
100g smooth peanut butter
150ml whole milk
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp lime juice
Pinch of sea salt

Optional but Dangerous
Fried eggs
Chorizo
Tomato and onion salad

Method

Mash the potatoes and leave them to steam dry.

Air fry the onion with a little oil at 185°C for 4 minutes, then stir in the achiote.

Mix the onion into the potato with the egg yolk, cornflour and salt.

Divide into eight pieces and press one piece of mozzarella into each.

Seal and flatten into thick patties, then chill for 20 minutes.

Preheat your air fryer to 195°C and spray the cakes with oil.

Air fry for 10-12 minutes, turning carefully halfway.

Whisk the peanut butter, milk, cumin, lime juice and salt in a heatproof dish.

Air fry at 175°C for 4 minutes, stirring twice, until smooth and hot.

Serve the cakes with the warm peanut sauce.

Lad Tip: Seal the cheese fully and chill the patties before cooking. Mozzarella can smell weakness in a potato seam from several feet away.

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