Peru is a heady mix of different landscapes and varied cultures that I find endlessly fascinating. I have stayed in a sophisticated hotel in Lima and eaten from fine china, slept in a tent hut in the jungle and consumed only quinoa and sweet potatoes, and dined on roasted guinea pig during the Festival of the Sun at Cuzco. The population is an equally varied mix of Amerindian, mestizo, European, Asian, and African, all of them contributing to the national table.
For centuries, Peruvian farmers have cultivated squash, corn, chiles, potatoes, and other crops on elaborately terraced hillsides. Cooking skills range from the highly refined cuisine of the cities to the rustic fare of the mountains. At Cuzco, I saw hot rocks piled atop roasting potatoes. Each family arranged their rocks differently, so that when they returned for supper, they would know which pile concealed their potatoes. They would then eat the roasted tubers with a hot green sauce made from huacatay (an aromatic green herb), chiles, and peanuts and with cheese reminiscent of Munster.
All of the recipes in this menu, with the exception of the dessert, call for ají amarillo, a hot yellow chile frequently used in Peruvian cooking. If you cannot find amarillo chiles, you can use a jarred Peruvian chile paste instead. Near where I live, I am able to buy three different chile pastes, amarillo, panca, and limo. They are also available by mail order. These pastes are handy to have on hand because they have lots of uses and keep well in the refrigerator—a wonderful shortcut to putting Peruvian flavors on your table.
Peru is famous for its ceviche and escabeche, which are “cooked” salads or relishes. In the case of ceviche, the acid in lime or lemon juice cooks the food, and in escabeche, vinegar and heat do the cooking. In Peru, both preparations are often served with steamed or roasted sweet potatoes and roasted Inca corn, a variety of corn with kernels that are two to four times the size of regular corn kernels. Inka Crops is a popular brand of roasted giant kernels. Roasted Inca corn is similar to corn nuts, a favorite snack food of American teenagers (and some grown-ups), so I have included original-style (salted) corn nuts as a substitute if you cannot find the real thing.
Most people are familiar with seafood or duck ceviche, so I have decided to make a less commonly known vegetable ceviche. The most difficult part of this dish is waiting for the mushrooms to marinate. A tasty olive oil is critical here, so go for the best you can afford. Do not be tempted to substitute shiitake mushrooms for the white mushrooms here. Raw shiitakes are known to cause an allergic reaction in some people, resulting in swelling and prickly rashes.
Serving this ceviche with the sweet potatoes and corn alongside the
Artichoke and Fennel Escabeche is a great start to a Peruvian supper.
| SERVES 6 TO 8
1 POUND WHITE BUTTON MUSHROOMS
¼ CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 CUP FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE, OR ½ CUP EACH FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME JUICE AND ORANGE JUICE
½ TEASPOON SEA SALT
½-INCH PIECE FRESH GINGER, PEELED AND GRATED
2 JALAPEÑO CHILES OR 1 SERRANO OR AMARILLO CHILE, STEMMED, SEEDED IF DESIRED, AND MINCED
5 GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, THICKLY SLICED
2 TABLESPOONS MINCED FRESH DILL, CHIVES, OR TARRAGON
1 ORANGE AND 1 YELLOW SWEET POTATO, OR 2 ORANGE OR 2 YELLOW SWEET POTATOES (OPTIONALLY PEELED), BAKED UNTIL TENDER AND COOLED
1 (4-OUNCE) PACKAGE ROASTED INCA CORN OR ORIGINAL CORN NUTS
SWEET OR HOT RED PEPPER, CUT INTO JULIENNE STRIPS, FOR GARNISH
Trim the stems of the mushrooms and then, for variety, leave some of the mushrooms whole, cut some in half, and quarter others. Place in a bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and toss to coat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, garlic, ginger, and chiles. Add to the mushrooms, toss well, and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
To serve, add the green onions and dill to the mushrooms and toss to mix evenly. If serving on a single large plate or shallow bowl, thinly slice the sweet potatoes and arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, around the outside edge of the plate or bowl. Pile the mushrooms in the center of the plate or bowl, sprinkle them with the corn, and garnish with the red pepper. If serving in individual bowls, cut the sweet potatoes into small spears. Divide the mushrooms evenly among the bowls, sprinkle the corn on top, garnish with the red pepper, and arrange 2 or 3 sweet potato spears on the side of each bowl.
ARTICHOKE AND FENNEL ESCABECHE
Here is a vegetarian appetizer that is hearty enough to stand alone, accompanied with grilled or toasted bread, or be part of a larger spread. It is reminiscent of the vegetable á la grecque preparations in the Mediterranean and is a wonderful spring or summertime dish.
Although you can use small artichokes here, I prefer to use the large globe artichokes, as you get more heart for the work! The timing works nicely if you put the artichokes on to simmer and then turn to prepare the remaining ingredients. If you cannot find dried amarillo chiles, you can substitute amarillo chile paste or add an extra jalapeño or serrano chile. If in season, feel free to add a handful of fava beans, tender green beans, or English peas at the very end to brighten things up. | SERVES 6 TO 8
JUICE OF 1 TO 2 LEMONS
4 CUPS WATER
1½ TEASPOONS SEA SALT
4 GLOBE ARTICHOKES
½ CUP OLIVE OIL
3 OR 4 FENNEL BULBS, STALKS AND FRONDS REMOVED, TOUGH OUTER LAYER DISCARDED, AND EACH BULB CUT LENGTHWISE INTO 6 WEDGES
2 YELLOW ONIONS, SLICED ¼ INCH THICK AND SLICES SEPARATED INTO RINGS
2 OR 3 CARROTS, PEELED AND SLICED INTO THICK ROUNDS
3 OR 4 CLOVES GARLIC, EACH SLICED LENGTHWISE INTO 3 PIECES
1 DRIED AMARILLO CHILE,
TOASTED AND JULIENNED OR SHREDDED, OR ABOUT 1 TABLESPOON JARRED AMARILLO OR OTHER PERUVIAN CHILE PASTE (OPTIONAL)
1 SERRANO CHILE, STEMMED, SEEDED IF DESIRED, AND SLICED INTO RINGS
1 JALAPEÑO CHILE, STEMMED, SEEDED IF DESIRED, AND SLICED INTO JULIENNE STRIPS
1 BAY LEAF
12 OR SO BLACK PEPPERCORNS
¼ NUTMEG, GRATED
½ CUP WHITE WINE VINEGAR
½ CUP DRY WHITE WINE
6 TO 8 OREGANO SPRIGS, 2 TO 3 INCHES LONG
In a saucepan, combine the lemon juice, water, and salt. To pare each artichoke down to its edible light-colored heart, trim off the end of the stem. Then snap off all of the leaves by holding the artichoke upright in one hand and snapping each leaf back against your thumb so that the base of the leaf stays with the artichoke. Using a paring knife, trim off any dark bits that are left on the base of the heart and lightly peel the stem. Cut the heart
lengthwise into quarters, then carve the choke out of each quarter and toss the quarters into the pan.
When all of the artichoke quarters are in the pan, cover with a heatproof plate that just fits inside the rim of the pan and bring a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until barely fork-tender. (You are only trying to give the artichokes a head start in cooking, not cook them fully.)
While the artichokes are simmering, in a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the fennel, onions, carrots, garlic, and all of the chiles and stir to coat with the oil. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the vinegar, wine, and oregano and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to a slow simmer.
When the artichokes are ready, scoop them out of the pan with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and add them to the sauté pan. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded nicely.
Remove and discard the oregano sprigs. Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled with the parsley.
TOASTING A DRIED CHILE INTENSIFIES ITS FLAVOR AND MAKES IT MORE MALLEABLE AND EASIER TO WORK WITH. IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEED YOUR CHILES (TO REDUCE THE SPICINESS), IT’S EASIER TO DO SO BEFORE TOASTING THEM, AS RIGHT AFTER TOASTING THEY WILL BE TOO HOT TO HANDLE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO TOAST CHILES.
TO TOAST CHILES IN THE OVEN, PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350°F. STEM THE CHILES AND PLACE THEM ON A DRY BAKING SHEET. PLACE IN THE OVEN FOR 2½ TO 3½ MINUTES, UNTIL THEY JUST START TO BECOME AROMATIC. TO TOAST CHILES IN A SAUTÉ PAN, HEAT OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT, SHAKING THE PAN FREQUENTLY, FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, UNTIL AROMATIC. YOU COULD ALSO TOAST THEM INDIVIDUALLY BY HOLDING THEM WITH TONGS OVER A DIRECT FLAME AND ROTATING THEM AS THEY TOAST (SORT OF LIKE TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS). THEY GO REALLY FAST FROM NOT-QUITE-READY, TO PERFECT, TO OVER-TOASTED, SO DON’T GET DISTRACTED WHILE DOING THIS.
Aguadito of Rabbit
(SPICY GARLIC STEW)
On my visit to Peru, guinea pig, which is indigenous to the Andes, was the most common form of protein on the dinner table. I have used rabbit here, but you may also use chicken or turkey, and orzo or rice could be used in place of the quinoa.
Traditionally, the whole rabbit would be poached in the broth and then broken down into pieces and finished in the stew. For ease, I have started with two rabbits already cut up. Ask your butcher to cut up the rabbits and make sure he or she saves all of the odd parts—kidneys, heart, bony pieces—sothey can be put to good use in the stock. Once you have the rabbits home, the first step is to make a great stock and then to use some of it to cook the quinoa and finish the rabbit. I like the dish served as a stew, but if you prefer it as soup, you can add more stock. Either way, I would recommend making it a day ahead, as it is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day. | SERVES 6 TO 8
2 WELL-RAISED RABBITS, 3 TO 4 POUNDS EACH, CUT INTO FRONT LEGS, BACK LEGS, AND BONELESS LOIN PIECES, WITH KIDNEYS, HEART, AND BONY PIECES RESERVED
KIDNEYS, HEART, AND BONY PIECES FROM RABBIT
1 POUND YELLOW ONIONS, UNPEELED, ROOTS TRIMMED OFF AND ONIONS CUT INTO CHUNKS
2 CARROTS, PEELED AND SLICED
4 OR 5 CELERY STALKS OR THE CELERY HEART, CHOPPED
1 LEEK, WHITE AND GREEN PARTS, CHOPPED
2 HEADS GARLIC, HALVED CROSSWISE
2 DRIED AMARILLO CHILES,
TOASTED AND SPLIT LENGTHWISE, OR 1½ TO 2 TABLESPOONS JARRED AMARILLO OR OTHER PERUVIAN CHILE PASTE
2 JALAPEÑO CHILES, SPLIT LENGTHWISE
1 TABLESPOON ANNATTO SEEDS OR ACHIOTE PASTE
16 OR SO JUNIPER BERRIES
20 OR SO BLACK PEPPERCORNS
6 TARRAGON OR CILANTRO SPRIGS
8 FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY SPRIGS
¼ TO ⅓ CUP OLIVE OR VEGETABLE OIL
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 YELLOW ONION, MINCED
2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY MINCED
2 RED BELL PEPPERS, SEEDED AND FINELY DICED
1 TEASPOON OR SO CAYENNE PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON SPANISH SMOKED SWEET PAPRIKA
SEA SALT
2 LARGE SWEET POTATOES, PREFERABLY YELLOW FLESHED, PEELED AND SLICED OR CUT INTO LARGE DICE
4 CUPS WATER
2 CUPS QUINOA, PREFERABLY RED
½ CUP SHELLED ENGLISH PEAS, SHELLED FAVA BEANS, OR CHOPPED GREEN BEANS, BOILED UNTIL CRISP-TENDER
Reserve the rabbit pieces in the refrigerator. To make the stock, in a large pot, combine the rabbit parts, stock, onions, carrots, celery, leek, garlic, chiles, annatto seeds, juniper berries, peppercorns, tarragon, and parsley. If there is not enough liquid to cover everything, add up to 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, until the liquid is reduced to 7 to 8 cups. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and reserve until needed. (The stock may be made a day in advance, covered, and refrigerated.)
To make the stew, in a large, heavy pot, heat ¼ cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Generously season the rabbit pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, place the rabbit pieces in the hot oil and sear, turning them as needed, until they are lightly browned on both sides. Transfer the pieces to a plate.
Add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, cayenne, paprika, and 1½ teaspoons salt to the fat remaining in the pot and sauté over medium heat, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until tender. Return the rabbit pieces to the pot, add half of the stock, and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, until the rabbit and sweet potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. While the water is heating, rinse the quinoa twice, swishing it well in a bowl of water and pouring off the water. When the water is boiling, sprinkle in some salt and then add the quinoa. Decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed and the grains are tender.
About 5 minutes before the stew is ready, stir in the peas and cilantro. Then add as much of the remaining stock as desired to achieve the consistency you want, less for a stew or more for a soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.
To serve, divide the quinoa among deep individual bowls and arrange the rabbit pieces on top. Ladle the stock and vegetables around and over the rabbit pieces and serve right away.
ORANGE AND CINNAMON RICE PUDDING
WITH POACHED PRUNES
My research convinces me that all of the countries that were colonized by Spain now serve a rice pudding. This recipe is inspired by five different Peruvian rice pudding recipes I found. The originals were all too sweet and/or too rich or included an element that didn’t appeal to me. One of them, for example, included stirring port-soaked golden raisins into the pudding, which turned it an unappetizing purple gray. I decided to use diced prunes (or dried plums, in modern parlance), which I poach, put on the bottom of Pyrex custard cups, and then top with the pudding. The Pyrex-cup presentation is casual, but you can easily dress up the pudding with fancier glasses. Some folks prefer a pudding that is slightly less sweet and use only three-fourths of the can of sweetened condensed milk. Use a vegetable peeler to cut the strip of orange zest. | SERVES 9
9 PRUNES, PITTED AND DICED
½ CUP PORT
2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR
1 STRIP ORANGE ZEST, ABOUT 4 INCHES LONG
1 CUP SHORT-GRAIN WHITE RICE, RINSED IN COLD WATER UNTIL THE WATER RUNS CLEAR
3 CUPS WATER
2 CINNAMON STICKS
2 WHOLE CLOVES
½ TEASPOON SEA SALT
1 (12-OUNCE) CAN EVAPORATED MILK
1 (14-OUNCE) CAN SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
½ TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
WHIPPED CREAM, MASCARPONE CHEESE, OR CRÈME FRAÎCHE, FOR GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
To poach the prunes, in a small saucepan, combine the prunes, port, and sugar and stir to mix. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until nice and plump. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To remove the bitterness from the orange zest, bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil, add the zest strip, blanch for 1 minute, and drain. Repeat twice, starting with fresh cold water each time. Finely dice the blanched zest.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the diced zest, rice, water, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Cover, bring just to a boil over high heat, and then immediately decrease the heat to a quiet simmer. Put the pan on a
heat diffuser if your burner is too high even on the lowest setting. Cook for 30 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the water.
Remove the pan from the heat and remove and discard the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Stir in the evaporated milk off the heat and then return the pan to high heat and beat until the milk is absorbed. Add the sweetened condensed milk the same way, stirring it in off the heat and then beating it in over high heat until absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Divide the poached prunes and any remaining juices evenly among nine ½-cup custard cups and pour the hot rice pudding over the top. If you don’t want a skin to form on top of the pudding, immediately place plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let cool at least slightly before serving. The pudding may be eaten warm or chilled, with or without whipped cream.
