• 12 ounces calamari, cut in ⅓-inch rings
• 8 ounces shrimp, cleaned
• 1 cup Peruvian giant corn kernels, cooked (or any white corn)
• 1 tomato, peeled and diced
• 4 Botija or Alfonso olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoon basil leaves, sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic, mashed
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Juice of 3 limes
• ½ avocado, sliced
• 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• Basil leaves, to garnish
Paola Cubas is the charming chef and owner of Pescatora, one of our favorite cebiche restaurants in Lima. She gave us this recipe a while back, and it became a big hit with our friends since day one, even though we have changed it a little bit. The best part of it is that it can be made in advance. Just make sure to add the avocado right before serving, so it doesn’t turn brown.
1. Clean the calamari under running water and cook in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Cook the shrimp in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and cool.
3. Put the calamari and shrimp in a bowl with the corn kernels, tomato, olives, parsley, basil, and thyme.
4. Season with salt and pepper, garlic, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and lime juice.
5. Serve on two plates and garnish with avocado slices, cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves.
If you want a spicy appetizer, add ají amarillo or rocoto paste to this salad, along with the lime juice.
Serves 2 
• 2 halibut fillets
• Salt and pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ red onion, cut in thick slices or chunks
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ají amarillo paste
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 lettuce leaves
• 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
• 4 Botija or Alfonso olives
This cold fish dish is one of the most traditional on the coast of Peru. The secret is to make it the night before, giving the flavors and textures enough time to meld together and settle into their sweet spot.
1. Season the fish with salt, pepper, and cumin, and pass through the flour.
2. Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the fish on both sides, until golden (about 3–5 minutes). Reserve.
3. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, and blanch the onion for 1 minute. Drain.
4. Heat the rest of the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and chili paste for 2–3 minutes.
5. Add the onion, and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes (add 2–4 tablespoons of water if it dries up).
6. Cover the fish with the onion mixture, put in a sealed container, and leave it in the fridge for as long as possible (overnight is best).
7. Serve cold over a lettuce leaf, and decorate with hard-boiled egg slices and black olives.
Make escabeche with any white fish of your liking. Not in the mood for fish? No problem. You can make this recipe using chicken. For a vegetarian version use cooked lima beans or canary beans instead of fish.
Serves 2 
• 1 pound white fish fillets, cut in 1-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup vegetable oil
To serve:
• Tartar sauce
• Ají amarillo mayonnaise
• Plantain chips
Depending on the quality of the fish you use, this rustic dish can turn into a real treat. We like using any white- fleshed fish, but feel free to improvise and choose whichever you like best. Salsa criolla is always the topping of choice, as well as tartar sauce and mayonnaise for the kids, or ají amarillo and rocoto sauces for the grownups.
1. Season the fish cubes with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
2. Dip the fish in the flour, and transfer to a colander to shake the excess.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and fry the fish pieces for about 4–5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and serve immediately with the sauces and chips on the side.
To make ají amarillo mayonnaise, combine ½ cup mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste, the juice of ½ lemon, and salt to taste. Keep refrigerated up to one day in an airtight container.
Serves 2 
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red onion, cut in thick slices
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste (optional)
• 1 tomato, peeled and chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup fish stock
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and cut in thick slices
• 2 seabass fillets (about 8 ounces each)
• 2 cilantro sprigs
• 2 cups cooked white rice
Chorrillos is a traditional fishermen´s district in Lima. Every day, these strong and brave men sail before dawn in search of their daily fish, and then spend the day selling their treasure in the market. Their women are experts at cooking fish and seafood, and most sell cebiche and other dishes—such as this one—which are prepared with professional skill.
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add the garlic, and onion, and sauté until transparent.
2. Add the ají amarillo paste, chopped tomato, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and add the vinegar and stock. Sauté for 30 seconds.
3. Add the sliced tomato and sauté quickly. This sauce should be ready in about 45 seconds or so, if your stove has a strong flame.
4. Meanwhile, season the fish with salt and pepper, and pan fry in a little oil over high heat, until golden on both sides (about 2 minutes on each side).
5. Put a little sauce with veggies on each dish, and top with one fish. Cover with more sauce and veggies, and garnish with a cilantro sprig.
6. Serve with white rice on the side.
If you like fiery food, add more chili pepper to this recipe. You can also leave it completely out if you have a sensitive palate. Serve fluffy white rice on the side, and/or boiled corn, fried sweet potatoes, or steamed yucca.
PAN CON PEJERREY—SMELT SANDWICH
Serve: 6 
• 1 pound smelts, cleaned and boned
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil for frying (about ¾ cup)
• 6 bread rolls (French bread, ciabatta, etc.)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
• 6 lettuce leaves
• Salsa criolla (p. 79)
Pejerrey—“smelt” in English—is a small silver fish (about 6 inches long), found in many places around the world, and easily caught in the cold waters off the Peruvian coast. This is a poor man´s delicacy, not only nutritious but also full of flavor. We like to use it in many recipes, from cebiches to sandwiches like this one.
1. Wash and dry the fish, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Put the lightly beaten eggs in one bowl, and the flour in another one, season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
4. Dip each fish in the beaten egg, and then in the seasoned flour, shaking the excess flour off.
5. Fry the fish on both sides, (about 2 minutes per side). Do not overcook. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
6. Slice the bread in half, and spread one side with a mixture of mayonnaise and ají amarillo paste.
7. Add a lettuce leaf, place three or four fried smelts over the lettuce, and top with salsa criolla.
8. Serve immediately.
A word of advice: always buy smelts that have been already cleaned, because they have lots of tiny bones, and cleaning them yourself is a real nightmare.
Serves 6
• 10 ounces fish fillets
• 10 ounces squid cut in rings
• 10 ounces shrimp, cleaned
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour or rice flour
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil, divided
• 2 green plantains, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
• ⅓ cup red or orange bell pepper, cut in thin slices
• 6 limes, divided
• ½ cup ají amarillo paste
• 2 scallions, chopped
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Mayonnaise
Jalea is simple and delicious. To make it you can use fish, seafood, or both. The contrasting textures of the crispy plantains and the tender fish and seafood is one of the things I enjoy the most about this dish, as well as the citrusy and spicy sauces that complement them.
1. Cut the fish in 1½ x 1½–inch squares. Season fish and seafood with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour.
2. Put in a colander and shake the excess flour.
3. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the seafood in batches and cook until golden. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towels.
4. Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in another saucepan, until very hot. Fry the plantain slices until they turn a lightly golden color.
5. To make the onion salsa: Combine the garlic, onion, cilantro, bell pepper, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the juice of 2 limes.
6. To make the ají amarillo sauce: Combine the ají amarillo paste, scallions, and juice of ½ lemon in a bowl, and season with salt.
7. Combine the seafood with fried plantains in a dish, and serve accompanied with the onion sauce, mayonnaise, ají amarillo sauce, and lime slices.
Jalea can be served as an entrée or as a shared appetizer, always accompanied by several sauces, thin yucca chips, and cancha (Andean popcorn) p. 25. Tartar sauce, mayonnaise, ají amarillo sauce, and rocoto sauce are just a few of the options you can offer.
SALMON ANTICUCHOS WITH ORIENTAL SAUCE
Serves 4
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 pound salmon fillets, cut in 1 x 1–inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 12 scallions (the white part)
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup oyster sauce
• 2 cups fish stock
• 1–2 tablespoons ají panca paste
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons scallions (green part only), finely sliced
Asian flavors are deeply rooted in Peruvian cuisine. We love to use exotic ingredients to make sauces and to season many dishes, and anticuchos are an example of this. When you make this recipe, you can use shrimp, chicken, or pork instead of salmon.
1. Put the sesame seeds in a pan over medium-low heat, and shake the pan until the seeds become fragrant. Don’t do this for too long because they burn fast.
2. Using bamboo skewers, pierce the salmon pieces, alternating with bell peppers and scallions.
3. Put in a dish, season with salt and pepper, cover with plastic film, and refrigerate while you make the sauce.
4. Cook the rice vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, until the sugar melts and starts to turn lightly golden.
5. Add the oyster sauce, fish stock, and ají panca. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Turn the heat to low and add the butter, piece by piece, swirling the sauce in the pan until it’s slightly thick and glossy.
7. Grill—or broil—the kebabs for 3 minutes on each side. Do not let the fish dry.
8. Distribute the skewers on 4 plates and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle with sliced scallion greens, the sesame seeds, and serve.
Grilled veggies or vegetable stir-fried rice are a great side for these kebabs.
Makes 1
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
• 4 ounces fish, cut in bite-size pieces
• 2 ounces shrimp, cleaned and peeled
• 2 ounces calamari, cleaned and cut into rings
• 2 ounces scallops, cleaned
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
This dish is one of the stars of the Peruvian restaurant Roberto Cuadra, in El Salvador. It is made to order, with a side of white rice to mop up the delicious sauce.
1. Turn on the broiler.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the roasted garlic and ají amarillo paste, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
3. Add the fish, shrimp, calamari, and scallops, and simmer for one minute.
4. Add the white wine, put the lid on and cook for two minutes more.
5. Add the heavy cream, stir, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer to a baking dish, cover with the cheeses, and broil until they are bubbling and golden brown.
7. Serve immediately.
When buying fish, select the catch of the day, and make sure you choose sustainable species only. You can use any variety of fish for most recipes.
GRILLED SEAFOOD WITH SPICY ANTICUCHO SAUCE
Serves 4
• 1 small octopus
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium potato
• 8 ounces calamari, cut in rings
• 8 ounces shrimp, cleaned
• 8 ounces scallops, cleaned
• 2 tablespoons ají panca paste
• 3 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
The traditional anticucho sauce perfectly complements all the fresh seafood in this rustic dish. An ideal accompaniment for it are golden potato slices and boiled corn.
1. To cook the octopus, add water, bay leaves, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Holding the octopus by the head, dip the tip of the tentacles in the boiling water. They will curl immediately. Place the octopus in the saucepan, add the potato, and cook. When the potato is tender, the octopus will be tender too. Transfer to a chopping board and let cool to room temperature.
2. Cut the octopus in ½-inch slices and combine with the calamari, shrimp, and scallops in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In another bowl, combine the ají panca paste, garlic, paprika, dried oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add this sauce to the seafood and mix well. This can be covered and refrigerated for up to 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Add the seafood and cook for about 4 minutes, turning once, or until the shrimp turn pink and the scallops look opaque.
5. Serve at once.
You can serve this dish in the form of anticuchos (kebabs). You can also make it just with fish, or just with one kind of seafood if you prefer.
Serves 4
• 4 fish fillets (about 1-inch thick)
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup Botija or Alfonso olives
• 1–2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ cup sunflower sprouts (or any other sprouts)
Pulpo al olivo is a famous appetizer consisting of sliced cooked octopus served with a creamy black olive sauce. That was my inspiration to create this dish made with fish fillets instead.
1. Season the fish fillets with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the fillets until they have a beautiful brown color and are cooked through but not dry.
3. In the meantime, make the olive sauce by processing the olives, mayonnaise, and ají amarillo, if using, in a blender until smooth. Reserve.
4. To make the salad, combine the cherry tomatoes with grated garlic, oregano leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir and reserve.
5. Put some black olive cream on each plate, and top with a fish fillet, tomato salad, and a few sprouts.
6. Serve immediately.
You can use any kind of fish you like to make this dish. Instead of the tomato salad, you may serve it with steamed potatoes or rice.
CRUNCHY QUINOA SHRIMP WITH SWEET POTATO TRIGOTTO AND PASSION FRUIT GLAZE
Serves 4
Crunchy-shrimp:
• 20 medium-sized shrimp
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
• ½ cup flour
• ¾ cup panko
• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ¾ cup vegetable oil for deep-frying the shrimp
Caramelized sweet potatoes:
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt
Trigotto:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small leek, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ cup pearled barley cooked for 30 minutes in salted water (reserve this water)
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 cup frozen peas,
• 16 green asparagus, cooked (optional)
• Edible flowers, to garnish (optional)
Passion fruit glaze:
• 1 cup passion fruit juice concentrate
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon butter
Ximena Llosa is a dear friend of ours, and one of the most creative cooks we know. She contributes at Peru Delights, and writes the popular blog ximenallosachef.blogspot.com, and is the chef of one of the top TV shows in Peru. This super busy mother of three also works as a caterer and a cooking instructor in Lima, and on top of that, she had time to create a scrumptious recipe using her favorite Peruvian ingredients for this book!
1. For the crunchy quinoa shrimp, start by peeling, cleaning, and deveining the shrimp. Wash in cold water and dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the ají amarillo paste.
3. Place the flour in one bowl and the panko and quinoa in another bowl. Coat each shrimp with some flour, removing the excess. Then dip in the egg mixture, and finally coat with panko and quinoa, shaking to remove the excess.
4. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and deep-fry the shrimp until they are golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towels to drain the oil.
5. For the caramelized sweet potatoes, wash and peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them in ½-inch squares. Put in a saucepan with the other ingredients and cook over medium-low heat until the liquid has a syrupy texture. Swirl the pan until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and caramelized.
6. To make the trigotto, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
7. Add the barley and mix well. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and let it evaporate. Then add the water you used to cook the barley, and cook at medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Add the milk and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Then add the salt and cheese.
9. Before serving, add the sweet peas and the caramelized sweet potatoes.
10. For the passion fruit glaze, put the passion fruit juice and sugar in a casserole, and cook until it is slightly thick, (about 12 minutes over medium heat). Add the butter, turn off the heat, and stir. It will thicken more as it cools down.
11. Serve the trigotto on 4 plates.
12. Place the shrimp on top and garnish with some green asparagus and a few edible flowers.
13. Finish with a tablespoon of passion fruit glaze on the sides.
We love to make risotto using Peruvian cereals. This recipe calls for barley, what we know as trigo morón. The name trigotto comes from the combination of this grain (trigo), and risotto. If quinoa is the cereal used, it’s called quinotto.
Serves 4
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, cut in thin slices
• 3 garlic cloves, mashed
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste (optional)
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and grated
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cups fish broth
• ¼ cup white wine
• 4 cilantro sprigs
• Salt and pepper
• 4 sea bass fillets
Here you have a variation of sudado, a traditional dish from the northern coast of Peru, where it is cooked with chicha de jora, and served with seafood, boiled yucca, or rice. A nice and creamy lima bean puree is also a good side dish.
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring from time to time, and cook for 10 minutes. Add ají amarillo paste, tomato, and tomato paste, stirring constantly.
2. Incorporate fish stock, white wine, and the cilantro sprigs, cover the pan, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Season the fish fillets and put in the saucepan. Put the lid on and steam the fish in the flavorful broth until the fillets look barely opaque. Be careful and do not overcook them.
4. Serve one piece of fish on each plate, surrounded with the sauce.
Sudados are full of flavor and light, perfect if you want to lose some unwanted pounds.
