Chilean Fava Bean, Potato and Chanco Cheese Bake with Merkén Marraqueta Crumbs

Name: Chilean Fava Bean, Potato and Chanco Cheese Bake with Merkén Marraqueta Crumbs
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Chilena
Ingredients: 2 lb potatoes; 1 lb peeled fava beans; 1 1/4 cups white onion; 4 cloves garlic; 7.8 oz chanco cheese; 4.2 oz marraqueta bread; 3/4 cup milk; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 cup vegetable broth; 2 tsp merkén; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 cup fresh parsley; 1 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper

An original savory bake inspired by Chilean pantry staples: layers of golden potatoes, sautéed fava beans with onion and garlic, melted chanco cheese, and a crunchy merkén-marinated marraqueta topping. Cozy, flavorful, and deeply homey.

25 minPrep

45 minCook

70 minTotal

6Servings

Vegetarian

Ingredients

Adjust servings

900 g potatoes (peladas and cut sliced of 5 mm)
450 g peeled fava beans (fresh or descongeladas)
180 g white onion (chopped diced small)
12 g garlic (chopped fino)
220 g chanco cheese (grated or en lonjas finas)
120 g marraqueta bread (solo the miga, desmenuzada)
180 ml milk (whole or semidescremada)
100 ml heavy cream (for dar cremosidad)
30 g butter (divided)
30 ml vegetable oil (divided)
120 ml vegetable broth (hot)
5 g merkén (divided)
2 g dried oregano (chileno if possible)
12 g fresh parsley (chopped fino)
8 g salt (or a taste)
1 g black pepper (freshly ground)

Nutrition facts

per serving

401 kcal

Calories

14 g

Protein

39 g

Carbs

21 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

34 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

GlutenDairy

Instructions

1
1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. Grease a roughly 12 x 8 inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon of butter and set aside.
2
2. Cook the potatoes in a pot of water with 1 teaspoon of salt for 8 to 10 minutes, until just tender but not falling apart. Drain well and let them cool slightly.
3
3. Meanwhile, boil the fava beans for 3 to 4 minutes if fresh, or 2 to 3 minutes if thawed from frozen. Drain and set aside.
4
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil with 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, half of the merkén, the oregano, and the black pepper, and cook 1 minute more.
5
5. Add the fava beans to the skillet and toss gently. Pour in the vegetable broth and cook for 3 minutes so the flavors come together. Season with half of the salt and add half of the parsley. Remove from the heat.
6
6. In a bowl, mix the milk with the cream and a pinch of salt. Set this mixture aside to moisten the bake.
7
7. In another bowl, combine the marraqueta crumbs with 1 tablespoon oil, the remaining merkén, and the remaining parsley, mixing until the crumbs are lightly coated and aromatic.
8
8. Assemble the bake by placing a layer with half of the potatoes in the dish. Cover with half of the fava mixture, add half of the chanco cheese, and drizzle with one-third of the milk and cream mixture.
9
9. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, the remaining fava mixture, and the remaining chanco cheese. Pour the rest of the milk and cream mixture over the top. Finish by evenly scattering the merkén marraqueta crumbs over everything.
10
10. Bake at 200 °C / 400 °F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the topping is golden. For extra color, broil for 2 to 3 additional minutes, watching closely.
11
11. Let the bake rest for 8 minutes before serving so it sets and portions more neatly.

Chef tips

If the fava beans have thick skins, peel them after boiling for a finer texture. You can also lightly brown the potato slices in a skillet before assembling for deeper flavor.

Substitutions

You can replace chanco cheese with mantecoso cheese or mild gouda. If marraqueta is unavailable, use finely crumbled day-old white bread. For a lighter version, replace the cream with more milk.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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Illustrative image
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized 12" Non-Stick Pan
Eggs, omelets and stir-fries
- Eggs and omelets that don’t stick
- Comfortable, sturdy handle
- Use wooden or silicone utensils
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