Peruvian
Picarones
Peruvian picarones with sweet potato-squash dough fried into rings and served with warm chancaca citrus-spice syrup.
8 servings · 60 minutes prep · 55 minutes cook
Ingredients
Dough
- 12 oz sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 12 oz pumpkin or kabocha squash, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp anise seed
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp pisco, optional
- 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 6 cups avocado oil, for frying
Syrup
- 14 oz chancaca, panela, or piloncillo
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 orange peel strip
- 1 lime peel strip
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise
Directions
Cook and Mash the Vegetables
- Simmer the sweet potatoes, pumpkin or kabocha squash, cinnamon stick, cloves, and anise in water to cover until very tender, 18-22 minutes.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid, then drain the vegetables and spices. Discard the whole spices and mash the vegetables until completely smooth.
Mix and Proof the Dough
- Cool 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid to 105°F. Stir in the active dry yeast and granulated sugar and let stand until foamy, 8-10 minutes.
- Mix the mashed vegetables, yeast mixture, pisco, all-purpose flour, and kosher salt into a very soft, sticky dough. Add additional reserved cooking liquid only as needed for a thick, stretchy, batter-like consistency.
- Beat vigorously by hand or mixer until elastic, 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rise until very bubbly and nearly tripled, 90-120 minutes. Stir down gently, then rest for 20-30 minutes more.
Make the Chancaca Syrup
- Meanwhile, simmer the chancaca, water, orange peel, lime peel, cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise until glossy and lightly spoon-coating, 20-30 minutes. Strain and keep warm.
Shape, Fry, and Serve
- Heat the avocado oil to 340-350°F. Keep a bowl of water nearby for your hands, but shake off excess water before touching the dough.
- With lightly wet hands, pull off portions of dough, stretch each into a ring with a hole in the center, and carefully slide into the oil. Fry until deep golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side, keeping water droplets out of the hot oil.
- Drain briefly and serve immediately, hot and crisp, generously drizzled with the warm chancaca syrup.
