Makes 6–8 cups 
Makes 6–8 cups
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 pounds chulpe corn (dried corn)
• Salt
Roasted dried corn has been eaten in Peru for centuries instead of bread. Up in the Andes, farmers and peasants always carry this snack and some firm artisanal cheese with them to have for lunch, especially when traveling. The highly addictive nibble is called cancha, and it’s usually cooked in a clay pot.
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the dried corn, and stir constantly until it turns golden brown and cracks start to appear on the surface of each kernel.
2. Take off the heat, add salt to taste, and serve.
Cancha is the traditional nosh served in cebicherías while waiting for the food to be served, and it’s also the perfect complement for a juicy cebiche. It also takes the place of the usual peanuts or chips in most bars.
FRIED YUCCA STICKS WITH FIERY ROCOTO SAUCE
Serves 6 
• ½ rocoto, ribbed and seeded (canned or frozen is fine)
• 1 cup cream cheese or diced queso fresco
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound yucca, peeled, boiled, and cut in ½–inch-thick sticks
• Vegetable oil for frying
This is one of our easiest, cheapest, and most delectable hors d´oeuvres. We use any excuse to nibble on these yuquitas fritas dipped in some of our favorite sauces (Huancaína, ocopa, rocoto sauce, aji amarillo sauce, and even guacamole!). They will get your appetite going, preferably accompanied by a very cold beer.
1. To make the rocoto sauce: Process the rocoto, cheese, and vegetable oil, in a blender until creamy or a little chunky if you prefer it this way. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
2. Heat 1-inch of oil in a saucepan, and when hot, fry the yucca sticks a few at a time, until golden. Drain on paper towels.
3. Serve with a bowl of rocoto sauce to dip.
The secret for finger-licking fried yucca sticks is to boil the yucca in advance, then cool it, cut it, and freeze it for a few days or weeks. When you want to make them, just take the frozen sticks out and fry them without thawing. The result is a creamy yucca, with a golden crispy crust.
Makes 24 
• 24 baked mini tartlet shells
• 1 recipe ají de gallina (p. 149)
• 12 hard-boiled quail eggs, peeled
• 24 curly parsley leaves
These adorable tartlets—or hojarascas, as we call them in Peru—used to be present in every cocktail or dinner party a few decades ago. Despite being so popular in the past, they were eventually forgotten, as more modern nibbles replaced them.
1. Place about ½ tablespoon of ají de gallina in each tartlet.
2. Garnish with ½ quail egg and a small parsley leaf.
3. Serve immediately with cocktails or white wine.
Do not bother baking the tartlets yourself. Buy them ready-made in a good bakery or grocery store. These tartlets are a good way to use up any ají de gallina—or any other stews—leftovers. Use this as inspiration to create your own finger foods.
Serves 2 
• 12 bay scallops in the half shell (see tip box)
• Salt and pepper
• 12 drops Worcestershire sauce
• 12 drops lime juice
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 12 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
This is a traditional hors d´oeuvre, made with bay scallops covered in grated Parmesan cheese, and ran under the broiler for a few minutes. When served, the cheese is bubbling but the scallops remain almost raw. A crowd pleaser!
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Clean and wash the scallops in the half shell, dry, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Put them in a baking tray and season each one with a drop of Worcestershire sauce and a drop of lime juice. Cover with one tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, and ½ teaspoon butter.
4. Run under the broiler for about 4 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
5. Serve immediately, piping hot, with lime slices on the side.
If you can’t find bay scallops in the half shell, broil them in small ramekins. If you don’t find scallops, you can use razor clams.
CHOROS A LA CHALACA—MUSSELS CHALACA-STYLE
Serves 4
• 12 mussels
• 1 cup white wine
• ½ cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• ½ cup corn kernels, cooked
• 1 tablespoon rocoto, chopped (fresh or jarred)
• 4 limes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon parsley leaves, chopped
This fresh appetizer is a great option for a hot summer day. Lightly steamed mussels are topped with a spicy salsa made with crisp red onion, boiled corn, tomato, rocoto, and lime juice. Raw bay scallops can be used instead of mussels.
1. Clean the mussels and remove the beards attached to the shells by pulling them.
2. Put them in a saucepan with the wine, cover, and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Check to see if all the mussels are open. If any of them remain closed, discard them. Turn off the heat, take out the mussels, and cool.
3. In the meantime, combine the red onion, tomato, corn, rocoto, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley leaves in a bowl.
4. Discard the top shells of the mussels. Top each mussel with a tablespoon of the salsa and some of its juice, and serve immediately, at room temperature.
Only buy mussels when they are very fresh, and heavy for their size, but not too much because they could be full of sand. Buying fresh mussels is the easiest thing to do in Lima, because the rocks by the shore are covered with them. Be very careful not to overcook them, because they will turn into a rubbery disaster.
Makes 24
• 8 ounces shrimp, peeled
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 egg yolk
• Salt and pepper
• 24 wonton wraps (you can get these in many supermarkets, or Chinese grocery stores)
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste (or to taste)
• Juice of ½ lime
• Salt and pepper
Although tequeños are native of Venezuela, Peruvians have adopted them as their own, and eat them whenever they get the chance. These fried cheese-filled wonton fingers, served with guacamole sauce, have inspired many new variations in the past few years. Here you have them filled with shrimp and served with ají amarillo sauce.
1. Finely chop the shrimp and combine with scallions, egg yolk, salt, and pepper.
2. Put ½ tablespoon of this mix on one side of the wonton sheet, and roll the sheet around it, leaving a little edge unrolled. To close, wet your finger and pass it along the edge of the wonton sheet, and then finish rolling. Do the same to close the side ends, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks well.
3. You can do these first steps in advance, cover the uncooked tequeños, and keep in the fridge for up to 2 hours. Fry them right before serving.
4. For the sauce, combine mayonnaise with ají amarillo paste, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
5. Put ½ cup vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium/high heat, and fry a few tequeños at a time, turning them once until they are golden brown.
6. Transfer to a dish covered with paper towels, to absorb the excess oil.
7. Serve immediately with the ají amarillo sauce on the side, to dip them in.
Tequeños can be filled with crab salad, chopped roasted chicken, cheese, vegetables, or even cooked apples with butter and sugar. When it comes to this finger food, sky’s the limit.
Serves 2
• 1 green plantain
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
In some countries they are known as tostones, but in the northern region of Peru, where plantains are abundant and an important part of the daily diet, these tasty fritters are called patacones. They are usually eaten as an accompaniment for meat and fish dishes, instead of bread, French fries, or rice.
1. Cut the tip ends of the plantain. Make a slit along the skin and peel it.
2. Cut the plantain in 1½-inch round slices.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add the plantain slices and fry until they slightly change color. Transfer to a chopping board.
5. With the bottom of a cup or a glass, press each plantain slice to flatten it, but be careful not to split it.
6. Fry again over high heat until they are yellow/golden brown.
7. Transfer to a dish covered with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
8. Sprinkle with salt, and serve.
Serve patacones as a side dish with pork, fish, or even cebiche.
Makes 36
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup hot milk, plus 2 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (different colors will look prettier)
• ½ cup Fontina cheese, coarsely grated
• 36 empanada dough sheets
• 1 egg, white and yolk divided
Empanadas are one of the most popular finger foods in Latin America, and they come in every size and flavor. Quinoa is not the exception, and mixed with cheese, it turns them into an unforgettable snack or hors d’oeuvre.
1. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the flour, stirring constantly until a paste is formed (about 2 minutes).
2. Add 1 cup hot milk, beating with a wire whisk until smooth. Add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat to very low and simmer the sauce until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and turn off the heat.
3. Stir in the cooked quinoa and cheese. Cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
5. Put about 1 teaspoon of the quinoa mixture in the center of each empanada circle.
6. Wet the tip of your finger or a brush with the egg white, and pass it along all the edges of the dough.
7. Fold in half and seal tightly, using the tines of a fork to press the edges. Repeat with the rest of the dough, and place in a baking sheet covered with Silpat or parchment paper.
8. Combine the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons milk, and brush the top of the empanadas with this mixture.
9. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Transfer to racks and serve warm.
We recommend you get store-bought empanada dough. If you’re into cooking from scratch, however, use our chard tart dough to make them (p. 63).
Makes 2
• 1 avocado
• 1 ripe tomato
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 6 slices white bread
• Salt and pepper
Three basic ingredients make this sandwich our favorite: avocado, tomato, and hard-boiled egg. It may not sound like anything special, but you better try it before judging. Together, these three ingredients make the most delicious sandwich we’ve ever had, and Peruvians simply can’t get enough of it.
1. Peel and thinly slice the avocado. Slice the tomato and put in a colander to drain. Slice the hard-boiled eggs.
2. Spread the mayonnaise on a slice of bread. Put a layer of avocado and another of tomato on top, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Spread mayo on both sides of another slice of bread, and put this on top of the tomato.
4. Top with a layer of hard-boiled egg slices, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread one last slice of bread with mayo on one side, and put that side down, on top of the egg.
6. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.
Here’s a trick to ensure the bright green color of the avocado: after cutting it, place the seed in a glass of water and leave it there. As long as the seed is submerged in water, the avocado will be green. Does this work? You will have to try it to find out.
Serves 6
• 6 medium ciabatta rolls
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
• 6 leaves iceberg lettuce
• ¾ pound jamón del país (or any ham)
• Salsa criolla (p. 79)
Italian immigrants introduced Peruvians to artisan smoked hams, giving birth to the one used to make this sandwich, called jamón del país (country ham). This community was also involved in Pisco production, so there has always been a close relationship between both products. If you travel to Peru, stop by any of the traditional Pisco bodegas, and you´ll probably find yourself eating a butifarra along with your drink. Living abroad, Antonella Delfino sometimes uses smoked turkey ham.
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Heat the bread for 5 minutes and cut lengthwise.
3. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and ají amarillo paste, and spread on the bread.
4. Put a lettuce leaf in the bread (you may have to fold it or break it), then add the ham, and finally top with salsa criolla.
Jamón del país used to be made at home, by seasoning a boned pork leg with salt, pepper, garlic, achiote, cumin, dry oregano, and lard, and cooking it for several hours. But thankfully, you can conveniently buy it in many stores nowadays.
Serves 6
• 6 ciabatta rolls or French bread
• 12 asado slices (p. 145)
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
• Salsa criolla (p. 79)
This comforting sandwich is made when there are roast beef leftovers from lunch or dinner. Whatever is left has two basic fates: it either goes in the freezer to be enjoyed someday in the future, or it goes into a scrumptious sandwich. I love this recipe, given to us by Antonella Delfino.
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Heat the bread for 5 minutes and cut lengthwise.
3. In the meantime, heat the beef with its juices in a saucepan over medium heat, until it is warm.
4. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and ají amarillo paste. Spread on the bread.
5. Put the meat slices (with no sauce) inside the rolls, and top with salsa criolla.
6. Serve immediately.
You may add lettuce leaves, tomato slices, and avocado to this sandwich.
Serves 1
• 2 slices of bread
• ½ tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 lettuce leaf
• 1 slice of cheese
• 1 fried egg
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• ½ teaspoon ají amarillo paste
A sanguchón (big sandwich) is the late-night snack of choice for Lima’s party people. It’s a sandwich filled with lettuce, tomato, a burger, grilled cheese slices, a fried egg, string potatoes, and several sauces and dressings. It may sound like a total bomb, especially so late at night, but it´s reinvigorating after spending many hours on the dance floor. This is a vegetarian rendition of this voluptuous meal.
1. Grill or toast the bread, with the cheese on top of one of the slices.
2. Top one of the slices with tomato, lettuce, the fried egg, salt, pepper, and all the sauces.
3. Cover with the other slice, and serve.
You can make a vegan version of this sandwich by leaving out the cheese and egg, and adding a vegan burger instead.
Makes 16 two-inch squares
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup quinoa
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ cups cornmeal (medium-ground)
• ½ cup quinoa flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1¼ cups milk
Manuel Villacorta, author of the book Peruvian Power Foods: 18 Superfoods, 101 Recipes, and Anti-aging Secrets from the Amazon to the Andes, gave us this delicious recipe to share in this book. It was created to accompany the quinoa and pichuberry chili on page 155.
1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and lower the heat to a simmer. Put the lid on and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
3. Place the olive oil in an 8-inch square baking dish, and put inside the oven.
4. Put the cornmeal, quinoa flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and stir in the cooled quinoa.
5. In another bowl, combine the eggs and milk.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
7. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and quickly pour the oil into the batter. Stir well.
8. Transfer the batter to the hot baking dish, and bake for 20–25 minutes, until set and golden brown.
9. Let cool slightly before serving.
Use any color of quinoa you prefer or have at hand. Regular cream-colored quinoa will go unnoticed in the batter, but red or black quinoa (or a combination) will make this cornbread colorful and fun. Besides boosting its nutritional value, quinoa will impart an interesting texture to this bread.
