Classic Picarones

The picarones o fritters Classics have been present in us since ancient times and in our popular festivals the presence of a picaronera, also known as a buñuelera, was inevitable. Just as Pancho Fierro portrays it in a painting from 1850 where the rounds of the dough are appreciated. Since the twentieth century in Peru we know it as "picaron".

Classic Picarones Recipe

The picarones recipe is prepared based on a sweet potato and pumpkin puree, to this mixture yeast, sugar and salt are added, which after mixing it well, we take it to a saucepan or frying pan to fry them in the form of a donut. Let yourself be delighted by this easy recipe for classic picarones step by step, in the unique style of micomidaperuana.com. Here are the ingredients.

Ingredients

For the Honey

Materials

Preparation of Classic Picarones

1. The first thing is to cook a quarter of a kilo of yellow sweet potato and a half of pumpkin. We cook them in a pot with little water until they are well cooked. Then we strain it, we save its water and we pass both through the potato press while they are still hot.
2. Meanwhile, we dilute about 50 grams of fresh yeast with a teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of salt and a little of the cooking water that we save.
3. Cover well and let the mixture ferment in a warm area for half an hour.
4. After this time, we mix it with the sweet potato and pumpkin puree. At that time we add half a kilo of unprepared flour little by little, beating with care.
5. We add a tablespoon of anise liqueur and continue kneading and beating until our dough suddenly comes to life and we begin to observe how the bubbles appear.
6. We cover the dough and let it rest for approximately 3 hours, this time in a place where there is some warmth.
7. We pour plenty of oil into a large pot and wet our hands and fingers with water.
8. We take a little bit of dough and with our fingers we make a small hole in the center and we gently drop each portion over the oil, trying to accommodate it in the pan or pot.
9. We fry over low heat until the picarones are golden brown and we remove them with a stick that we introduce in each mince and we bathe them with a honey that we can make while the dough rests.
10. To make the honey, we cook half a kilo of chancaca with 5 cloves, a cinnamon stick, two fig leaves and half a liter of water, until it takes on a point of honey and that's it.

Tips and tricks to make a delicious Classic Picaron

In case you can't find sweet potato in the market or in the store, you can also replace the sweet potato for the potato and you will get some delicious potato bites. If you don't dare to prepare some picarones, I recommend you visit Kennedy Park in Miraflores, where you will find some delicious picarones made magically by a noble picaronero.

Did you know…?

The picarones are an important source of Vitamin A and antioxidants, due to the presence of sweet potato y squash in the preparation of the dough. But at the same time it has its contribution of starches and simple sugars, which, added to the fat from the frying, makes it a preparation highly caloricTherefore, it is recommended to reduce its consumption in people with diabetes or obesity problems.