Serves 4
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!
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
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.
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
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.