This is a dish I first ate when I was 13 and on a trip with my grandma through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. At that time I was not what anyone could call an adventurous eater. When ever we sat down at a restaurant to eat, I scanned the menu for anything that resembled 'real' food, usually settling on a mushroom fillet mignon. At most places, however, they also served complimentary bowls of this cheesy potato soup/stew garnished with slices of avocado and cilantro. My first tastes were hesitant but I found it palatable and by the end of my 2 1/2 weeks vacation of only eating fillet mignon and drinking orange Fanta, my taste buds started to wander in search of a bit more variety. They landed on the locro, though at that time I didn't know what it was called. Through out my teenage years, I occasionally ate other dishes that reminded me of the stew that I learned to love long ago. I had tried to search the internet for a recipe for this dish whose name I didn't know but was unsuccessful.

But then about a month ago I performed another search and discovered the name locro. It turns out that this is a common dish through out all of South America and parts of Central America. I was very excited and was quick to try out a few recipes. This is the second time I've made this and it is just as good as I remember it. The only difference being that the original recipe calls for annatto oil which has a very mild flavor not too much unlike olive oil but does provide a deep yellow color to the recipe. I just used olive oil and got a slightly oatmeal color though the taste is dead on.




Recipe:
5 large potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)
1 cup of milk
3-4 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 of an onion (minced)
3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 cup shredded muenster, queso fresco or mozzarella (or any meltey Mexican cheese like panela)

2 avocados
chopped cilantro

In a large pot, saute garlic and onions in oil.
Add in liquids, potatoes, and seasonings.
Heat on high until boiling, then reduce to low and simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
With the back of a slotted spoon or a masher, mash potatoes to release more starch but leave a few chunks for final texture.
While you are doing this, the liquid should start to thicken up. When it is as thick as you want it to be, turn off the heat and mix in all the cheese and stir until it is melted.
Half the avocado and remove the pit, slice out half and put in each bowl served.
Sprinkle on chopped cilantro.

Some extra stuff I like to do is to add some lemon or lime juice right before eating, or add it to the sliced avocado before doing anything else and let it sit until you are done. In the picture above, I dropped a bit of raspberry habenero jelly, and served with a side of cornbread with the same jelly.

I don't know how long this will last as leftover, though, because I have always finished it the night I made it.

Serves 4-6 people.