Marita's Peruvian Cooking

Fish Ceviche
Serves 6

2 lbs fresh firm white-flesh fish – Grouper, Sea Bass or Tilapia
Salt to taste
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 medium rocoto aji pepper, finely diced
1 Garlic Clove, crushed and minced
Juice of 12 fresh limes or more if necessary
1 tsp Aji Amarillo Paste
chopped cilantro

To Serve:

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Corn on the Cob or Kernels
Lettuce leaves

Rinse, drain and pat fish dry. Cut fish in bite size pieces and place in a glass or non reactive bowl, season with salt.  Rinse the onions in cold water to take away some of its bitterness. Once the onions are drained, place it in bowl with the fish. Add the rocoto and  garlic. In a blender or a separate bowl, mix the lime juice with the aji amarillo and pour over the fish mixture. Add the cilantro and mix well and check again for seasoning. Serve immediately with sweet potatoes, corn and lettuce.. enjoy!

Mmmmm…..Papa a la Huancaina, just delicious. The dish consists of a thick yellow spicy sauce made of aji amarillo, cheese and milk, generally served with potatoes and a great vegetarian appetizer. The main ingredient, aji amarillo, brings a healthy aspect to the dish – aji amarillo helps ease inflammation, aid in digestion and relieve pain.

The word “Huancaina” comes from the town of Huancayo and there are many stories behind the sauce. One is that the region of Junin, where Huancayo is located, has approximately 3,000 varieties of potatoes and the creator of the dish would buy all the ingredients from there. Another is that during the construction of the Central Railway in Peru, the women from the region would serve the dish to the workers, using different types of potatoes, but the sauce was made out of rocoto. When the dish came to Lima, it was changed to aji amarillo instead of rocoto.

The sauce is what makes the dish and you can use it in many different ways. I use it as a dip for crudités when catering an event. It’s also great as a dip for hors d’oeuvres such as yucca balls, corn and cheese mini skewers or empanadas, so simple but so good! At home I also mix it with spaghetti, a different and very delicious twist on a popular dish.

After the jump, the recipe. Read more…

Choritos a la Chalaca is a very summery and refreshing dish from the coast of Peru. The name “Chalaca” comes from the Port of Callao, the main port area of Lima. It is a cold dish, served as either an hors d’oeuvres or appetizer, consisting of fresh mussels (“choritos”) topped with a tomato and corn salsa marinated in lime, aji amariilo and rocoto. The dish is low fat, gluten free and so fresh to eat at a pool party or any other summer event. Eat it with a beer or Chicha Morada in the summer for lunch and you will fall in love with it!

When I think of Choritos a la Chalaca, I think of my cousin Chelita, who always makes the dish whenever we visit her in Peru, especially in the summer when we spend time at her beach house.

My Choritos a la Chalaca recipe after the jump. Read more…

Here is the recipe I demo’d at Williams-Sonoma this past weekend. It’s perfect for summer!

Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche

Yields 4 servings

½ lb sea scallops
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 cups salted water (for blanching)
2 bowls ice water (for shocking)
1 bag frozen Peruvian white corn
¼ cup red onion, minced
Juice of 6 limes
1 tsp aji amarillo paste
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp red pepper, minced
1 tsp jalapeno, minced
2 tbsp fish stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sweet potato chips, crumbled in small pieces

Wash and remove any muscles from the side of the scallops.  Cut the cleaned shrimp in half lengthwise and then again horizontally.  In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil then lower the heat to simmer and add the shrimp, stirring occasionally until just cooked, about 1 minute.  Scoop out shrimp with a slotted spoon and place in the first bowl of ice water. Return water to a simmer and poach scallops the same way, about 1 minute.  Transfer them to the second bowl of ice water and discard the cooking water.  Drain the seafood well and slice the scallops.  At the same time, bring a pot of water to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook the Peruvian corn for 10 minutes.  Remove from the water and set aside.

Place the seafood in a glass bowl or other non-reactive bowl and add the red onion.  In a separate bowl, mix the lime juice and aji amarillo paste, then pour over the seafood mixture.  Add chopped cilantro, corn, red pepper and jalapeno.  Finally, add the fish stock, which helps reduce the acidity of the limes.  Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

Serving Options

1. Cucumber Cups: Cut 4 cucumbers into ½” slices, scoop out the seeds, place ceviche inside

2. Sweet Potato Chips: 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, deep fried in canola oil at 350°F for about 5 minutes.  Sweet potato chips also make a nice garnish for the cucumber cups, just crumble a chip over it for some crunch.