This chapalele recipe is part of my ultimate dumpling guide. Check it out if you haven’t yet! This recipe is also by my fellow brother in cooking, Brenton. You can catch him over on our YouTube channel. Take it away bud!
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Chapalele History
Chapalele hails from the island of Chiloé off the southern coast of Chile. Its name means “place of seagulls” in the indigenous language, which might give you an idea of the climate. Remote even by Chilean standards, graced with fjords both beautiful and isolating.
It’s no wonder that the people of Chiloé had to come up with a dumpling that’s as hearty as it is a snap to make. I decided to make my own pork crackling and serrano salsa/topping as an addition to my chapalele, but they’re great as a standalone savory dumpling.
Step By Step
Chapalele
- Peel the potatoes, place in a pot of salted, cold water and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil for 15 minutes.
- Drain and allow the potatoes to cool uncovered for about 10 min. Mash to a smooth consistency.
- Add the flour, salt, butter, diced scallion, and egg to the mashed potatoes. Mix vigorously (I recommend using your hands for extra fun).
- Work until a damp but cohesive dough forms. You should be able to shape a neat blob of dough. Divide into 12 equal portions.
- While bringing a generous pot of water to boil; in a bowl, combine the lime juice, diced serrano, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, pork dripping, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Boil the chapalele at medium-high heat for about ten minutes. Allow to cool slighty and serve with pork crackling and serrano topping.
Pork Crackling (Optional)
- Trim most of the fat from the pork skin, preheat an oven to 250*F and allow the pork to roast fat side down for 3 hours. Place a pan underneath to catch the drippings.
- Fill a stainless or cast-iron pan with about 1/4 inch of canola oil, fry the oil skin side down until golden and slightly puffed. Press the frying skins flat with a spatula, beware of light oil spatter.
- Serve atop the chapalele, with a scoop of serrano topping on each.
Chapalele Tips
Save the pork drippings for cooking/baking later! Caramelized onion would also make a delicious addition to the topping I bet.
I made really big chapalele in the pictures, in the future I want to either top smaller dumplings with single pork cracklings, or mince the crispy pork skin into rough cubes and speckle the top of the dumplings.
If you’re interested in other recipes by Brenton, check out his Swedish palt (potato dumplings filled with pork and topped with lingonberry jam).
Chapalele
Ingredients
Chapalele
- 3 lbs potatoes
- 1½ cups flour
- ¼ cup green onion diced
- 8 oz pork skin (optional)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or lard
Topping
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Serrano pepper diced
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- pork drippings (optional)
- salt
Instructions
Pork Cracklings (Optional)
- Trim fat off the pork skin. Roast the pork in the oven at 350 F for 3 hours. Put a pan underneath to catch the drippings. At the last hour mark, start cooking the chapalele.
- Fill a cast iron pan with 1/4 inch of canola oil. Fry the skins, skin side down until golden brown and puffed. Press down with a spatula so the max surface is making contact.
- Serve on top of chapalele with a scoop of the pepper topping.
Chapalele
- Peel potatoes, add to a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil on high heat, reduce to medium, and continue boiling for 15 minutes.
- Drain and allow potatoes to cool for 10 minutes. During this time you can dice your scallion and mince the garlic. Mash potatoes to a smooth consistency.
- Add the flour, salt, butter, diced scallion, and egg to the mashed potatoes and mix vigorously.
- Work dough until it becomes one cohesive blob. Divide into 12 equal portions.
- Bring a pot of water to boil on medium high heat. Boil the chapalele for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine the lime juice, diced serrano, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, pork dripping, and salt.
- Remove the chapalele from the pot, let cool them cool slightly, and serve with your toppings.
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