Not long after leaving behind my new friends, I was reunited with an old one, with whom I was destined to tackle the Inca Trail. But first a few days in Peru’s capital Lima. As with most capital cities, the area was sprawling and vast. Each region had its own characteristics and there was some abject poverty on display. At times a walk through the poorer areas of the city felt distinctly voyeuristic. Even more surprising then was the contrasting wealth on display in Mirraflores, an area with a heavy reliance on tourism and an abundance of hotels. It was here I visited my first Inca site, Huaca Pucclana. This most unique of ruined sites, resembling an abstract set of logo bricks, has its own haute cuisine restaurant.
It was in this restaurant, during the evening, sat on the veranda, overlooking the spotlit ruins, that I had my first authentic taste of Peruvian food. The comprehensive menu quickly showed me two things about this exciting cuisine. One, Peru had long since accepted foods from other cultures and is at the forefront of fusion cuisine. Secondly, regional dishes were no longer available only in the districts where they originated, but are available country wide. I ate a great deal in my first meal, sampling yuca, tamales, scallops, Guinea pig and Alpaca – when it comes to strange foods I don’t waste any time. Incidentally the Guinea pig was prepared as cicharrones, meaning it tasted like a rich, crispy pork nugget. The Alpaca was exceptionally tender, with the texture of rare beef, tempered with the gentle sweetness of lamb. Both were delicious, but very difficult to repeat at home. Despite all this exoticism, my favourite and most easily reproducible meal was the Chupe de Camarones.
This authentic seafood soup (resembling a Peruvian chowder) is originally from the coastal region of Arequipa. This sunset orange soup, is naturally thickened with quinoa, potato and corn, so don’t expect a light dish here, this has main course potential written all over it and you might want to skip the pudding too. Delicate spices and a hit of aji (a hugely popular Peruvian chilli) provide warmth. Sweet, briney freshness comes in the form of either prawns or crayfish. The garnish is Queso Fresco (fresh cheese) and a lightly fried egg. If you’re feeling particularly decadent, a whole, unpeeled crustacean can look great too as a final flourish. The aji panca paste is easily available on the internet, but 1tsp of chipotle sauce, with its fruity smokiness, will be a suitable replacement if needed.
Level: medium
Skills: seafood prep, sautéing
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Makes: Serves 6
Ingredients
2-3tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1tbsp ají panca paste (or 1tsp chipotle sauce)
1tbsp tomato puree
1tsp dried oregano
1.5L fish stock
75g quinoa (lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar, to split the grains)
400g starchy potatoes, peeled and diced
2 corn cobs, the kernels sheared off the sides
500g fresh prawns, peeled and cleaned (reserve the shells)
75g green peas
390g evaporated milk
Salt and pepper
6 eggs
100g feta, cut into small cubes (or Queso Fresco if you can source it)
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, oregano and any reserved prawn shells. Sauté until golden and fragrant.
3. Add tomato puree and aji panca, then continue cooking for 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp stock, and bring to a boil, skimming the stock every few minutes. You may now remove the prawn shells with a letter spoon, before it gets too difficult to do so.
5. Turn the heat to medium low, add quinoa and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Add the diced potatoes and corn, and continue simmering until the potatoes are tender.
7. Then add the peeled prawns. Cook for 3 minutes.
8. Add the milk, salt, and pepper, and turn off the heat. Stir through the green peas.
9. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying ppan and fry the eggs, one or two at a time, sunny side up.
10. Ensure each bowl has a few prawns in the base then generously ladle the hot soup around this.
11. Top with the cheese cubes and a fried egg. Serve immediately.
Mastication / Destination 